Carry on My Wayward Son
by Dark Dancer Kayla
Summary: When the world turns upside down for Harry he makes a decision that will change every facet of his life. What he finds however may not turn out the way he expects.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone, long time no see I know. I know how cranky you'll all be at me for starting another story but I couldn't reist posting this. I've actually had it in my head for some time I just haven't posted it so here I am. For those waiting for Exchange Program it's actually finished. I'm currently in the process of getting it publishing ready since it is an original story I adapted for fanfiction, I'm not sure how long it will take to be done but we'll see. Anyway onto this one. I wanted to write a story about Harry joining Voldamort. I enjoy the fics but often find them a bit far fetched and unbelievable, I wanted to write one that was a bit more believable but I'll let you decide what you think.

Warnings, Dumbledore is evil. This is set after Halfblood prince but things didn't go as planned and you'll see as you read. Enjoy and please review.

Carry on my Wayward Son

Into the Serpent's Lair

It was a bad idea, he knew it was, but he had no choice. Death was all that was waiting for him; whether it be tonight, next week or next year it didn't matter, he was going to die, and he wouldn't let someone else dictate when and where. Besides, this way there was at least a chance that he'd be able to save the people he loved.

Closing his eyes he took a deep breath trying in vain to stop the frightened trembling of his hands. He had to control his fear, if he was too frightened the mental training he'd undertaken would be worthless and his whole plan; well his entire life actually, would be a complete waste of time. He stayed where he was for several seconds, going over the mental path he'd created for his enemy to walk, when the man undoubtedly looked into his head, making sure it was smooth and the blocks he'd put in place were properly disguised to look like turns in the road. When at last he was satisfied that everything was as it needed to be he took one last deep breath and readjusted the invisibility cloak over himself before moving toward the hidden back entrance to Riddle Manor.

It had been easier than he'd expected it to be to get into the Manor, even with the directions he'd been given, and it was equally easy to navigate the place. Locating Voldemort wasn't the simplest task, his energy filled the entire place and it was easier than Harry would have liked to be fooled by a whisper of it in a room the dark lord had obviously used more recently than others. The man was powerful, Harry already knew that but this brought the point home with a burning stab and he hoped his plan worked the way he wanted it to, if it didn't he was in for a world of pain before the dark lord finally killed him.

When at last he located the man he wasn't at all surprised by where he was or what he was doing. In the middle of the manor, in a room that could only be described as a throne room, the dark lord sat on a silver throne decorated in green silk, stroking the head of his giant snake that rested on his lap and … brooding. Harry would have laughed at the idea of the dark lord brooding if he didn't think it was likely to get him killed. No doubt the man was angry that Dumbledore was still breathing, an annoyance the pair of them shared although the dark lord didn't realise it yet.

Knowing the cranky dark lord was bound to notice his presence soon Harry took a deep breath and ran through the script he'd chosen for this moment quickly before finally deciding to reveal himself to the snake faced man, not physically just yet of course, that would have been suicide. He cast the wandless spell he'd found to make his voice sound like it was coming from all directions at once so the Dark lord couldn't find him from the direction of his voice and said.

"You look utterly dour, Tom, whatever has you in such a lousy mood? Is it the fact that Dumbledore once more escaped your death plans for him or is it something else entirely, like your lack of ability to kill me?" He asked letting his amusement show through his voice.

Voldemort who'd stiffened and sat up with an angry expression on his snake like face the moment he heard Harry's voice searched the room with wary, scarlet eyes, a shield immediately snapping up around himself and the snake, not that there hadn't been one there already, the man really was paranoid not that Harry blamed him. "Potter?!" he half asked half snarled.

"The one and only," Harry replied jovially. "And don't bother sending the snake around the room to find me, I've worked out a rather lovely spell to kill her the moment she gets within a metre of me, shield or not," he warned the dark wizard very grateful that he'd found that spell while he'd been looking for something else in the library one day.

Voldemort sneered, "You expect me to believe that?" he asked, his voice taking on a superior and disbelieving air now that he'd gotten over the shock of Harry's appearance in his manor.

"Well you don't have to, but I know she's one of your Horcruxes and you wouldn't want to risk her safety now would you," Harry replied mimicking the older wizard's superior tone.

Voldemort's face took on a slight look of trepidation and he placed a protective hand on Nagini's head. Harry smiled, enjoying the other man's caution more than he'd ever admit.

"Wise choice, Tom," he praised and the man glared.

"Shut up insect," Voldemort growled clearly not happy with Harry speaking to him that way.

Harry just laughed. "You don't have much of a sense of humour when you're not the one calling the shots now do you? Now now, Tom, you shouldn't be greedy, no one can be the boss all the time," He said even though he knew it wasn't going to help his case when he argued it to the wizard who was no doubt getting more and more annoyed with him by the second.

The man's white, serpentine face turned an angry red and knowing he was going to explode very shortly Harry knew he had to say something to diffuse the situation before it cost him everything.

"Then again I think you might actually be able to one day, which funnily enough is why I'm here," he said smirking at the look of suspicious surprise that replaced the anger on the dark lord's face.

"What exactly do you mean by that Potter?" he asked before a gleeful smile suddenly lit his pointy face. "Are you here to surrender yourself to me and allow me at last to send on your merry way to the afterlife?" he asked eagerly.

Harry chuckled, "Just how likely do you think that is, Tom?" Harry asked smirking once more as the dark wizard's face took on another expression of anger. That man really must have a serious case of bipolar disorder.

"Do not call me that name you rodent!" the man bellowed.

"Would you rather I called you Voldemort?" Harry asked knowing he was once more closer than he would like to releasing the dark wizard's explosive temper.

"You are in my manor, Dark Lord is how you should address me," Voldemort snarled and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Fine, Dark Lord," Harry agreed trying not to sound too stroppy. It burned his ego to have to address the other wizard so but he needed to start getting on the man's good side if he wanted his plan to work.

Voldemort seemed surprised by his acceptance, a surprise that soon turned to suspicion. "What exactly are you doing here, Potter?" he asked with narrowed eyes. "If you'd wanted to kill me I'm assuming you'd have already tried, then again you Gryffindors can be an odd lot."

Harry chuckled, "That we can. You are right though, I didn't come here to kill you, in fact I came here with a proposition for you," he replied.

"A proposition? Does it involve you dying a slow and painful death because I can't imagine there's anything else you could possibly give me that I'd want," the dark wizard replied.

"How about a new ally, would that be of interest to you?" Harry asked.

Voldemort raised his eyebrows in surprise, well; at least Harry was pretty sure he would have had he still possessed eyebrows … or any hair at all. Then, out of nowhere, maniacal laughter filled the room and Voldemort looked like he was positively wetting himself in a fit of hysterics.

"Harry, Harry, Harry, either you think I'm a complete fool or your order is insanely desperate, either way this is just pathetic," the man replied when his laughter finally calmed down. "You'd be better off just telling me where you are now, Harry, I'll give you a quick death, it'll save both of us a lot of time and I won't have to listen to you prattle on and on about why I should believe your ridiculous claims."

Harry smiled to himself. He'd come here expecting a long explanation process and had thankfully brought information to prove himself to the other wizard.

"Oh they're not ridiculous, and of course I would not come here with a proposition such as this and not bring along information with which to prove my sincerity," Harry replied smugly.

That got Voldemort's attention.

"Information you say, what kind of information?" the snake faced wizard asked.

Harry smiled, now to dangle some bait out in front of the wild bear. "The order has several safe houses where a number of their operatives are staying over the summer. Aside from Dumbledore name any operative wizard you wish to find and kill this night and I will tell you whether it is achievable, where they are and how to get through the wards around the building," Harry offered wondering who the dark wizard would choose.

Voldemort looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before replying, "Ronald Weasley."

Harry smiled to himself, this was a test. "While I would gladly tell you where Ronald is staying tonight our agreement was for an order operative and while I'm sure this is a test to see if I am sincere about wishing to aid you I would hate to short change you as I will only be supplying the location of one until you hear me out properly and I doubt you really want Ron that badly, he's useless, completely, we all know it."

Voldemort chuckled quietly his red eyes looking truly amused. "True, very true," he agreed. "All right then, Moody."

Harry smiled to himself under his cloak, somehow he'd had a feeling the evil wizard would pick Moody and he had no problems whatsoever with giving over the crazy bastard's location or the extra tricks he used to secure his location. With a silent, wandless spell he conjured up a piece of parchment with all the information the dark wizard would need and charmed it to appear in the man's lap on top of Nagini.

Voldemort looked down at the parchment before once more searching the room with his eyes as he had been since he'd first heard Harry's voice. "How do I know I can trust these instructions and you're not leading me into an ambush?" the dark wizard asked suspiciously. "This is after all a rather abrupt change of heart you seem to be having."

Harry snorted, "As if you'd actually be going yourself," he scoffed. "You have plenty of single use death eaters I'm sure you could find any number of them to send on a mission like this. That piece of parchment is all the information they'll need, if they've got even half a brain between them they should be able to walk right in. The only issue will be whether they can fight off Moody when they get there, that's the only catch, I'm afraid."

"Moody's an Auror, a well-trained Auror, he could kill several of my death eaters before they manage to capture him," Voldemort stated as if he expected Harry to do something about it.

"You won't care and we both know it. Besides, I didn't pick the target, you chose and this is far more of an advantage than you'd have if you went against him any other time. He may be a promoter of constant vigilance but he has to sleep sometime and right now he's alone, that's not a chance you get very often," Harry argued.

When it looked like Voldemort still wasn't convinced he continued. "Look, this information is only good for tonight, after that they'll all move and the warding information will change, if you want to collect the insane Auror you need to send people now!" Voldemort looked thoughtful for another few moments before angrily lifting the sleeve on his robe and pressing his wand to the dark mark to summon a death eater.

"You'd better be correct about this information Potter, if you're lying I will call in every death eater I have and we will cover this room in killing curses until we find you," Voldemort warned once his summons had been sent.

"I have no desire to lie to you, dark lord, that wouldn't serve my purposes at all," Harry replied.

"And what exactly are those?" Voldemort hissed.

"Those I will explain when my information has been proven correct," Harry replied.

Voldemort looked like he was about argue, the sound of footsteps approaching the room drew his attention however and moments later Bellatrix sauntered into the room looking loopy as ever. She bowed at his feet and kissed the hem of his robes like a dog, Harry was sickened by her pathetic posturing.

"You sent for me, my lord," she said, her voice reverent.

Voldemort handed her the parchment and ordered her to take as many death eaters as she felt she needed to retrieve Moody. She all but skipped from the room without question and once she was out of earshot Harry turned to look at the Dark lord and asked. "How does she not drive you up the wall?"

Voldemort chuckled, really chuckled, something Harry never thought he'd hear out of the terrifying dark lord. "Who says she doesn't?" he asked in return causing harry to chuckle with him. He may hate Voldemort but any joke made about loopy Bellatrix was worth laughing at. He had to admit he was surprised the man had chosen her; he thought Bellatrix was one of the dark lord's favourites. Of course she probably wouldn't be after Harry had filled the dark lord in about a couple of things.

They were silent while they waited for Bellatrix to return, both lost in thought and pondering what to do about the other. So far Harry was pretty happy with how things were going, he just hoped there were no hiccups and Bellatrix returned with a dead or at least stunned Moody.

It took what felt like days for the sound of footsteps to echo through the manor once more and moments later Bellatrix all but skipped back into the room, a group of death eaters in tow, with mad eye's body floating in the middle of them. She bowed at his feet as did the rest of the death eaters and from his spot on the other side of the room Harry grinned. All according to plan.

"Report Bellatrix," Voldemort ordered.

"We lost three death eaters, My Lord but no one important," Bellatrix reported. "The auror is stunned and injured but still alive for your pleasure, my lord." She finished with a low bow.

"The information I provided you with, was it accurate?" Voldemort asked her.

"It was flawless, my lord," Bellatrix replied that sickening reverence back in her tone.

Voldemort smiled in a way that made every death eater in the room aside from Bellatrix shrink back in fear and Harry had to say he enjoyed the view. "Take him to the dungeon and lock him up thoroughly, after that you can all return to your beds."

They bowed and left the room, their relief at having been successful and therefore going unpunished during this meeting was palpable. Once they were gone the door slammed shut behind them and Voldemort's gleeful eyes resumed their search of the room for Harry.

"All right, Mr Potter, let's hear what you have to say," The dark Lord invited.

"I want to join you; I think that goes without saying. I will help you take over the wizarding world and you can choose what form that help takes, although I'd prefer to spend as little time as possible around the order, I've grown to quite despise most of them. I will use my magic to aid your quest and in return I ask for only two things," Harry explained his position.

"Oh and what are those?" the dark wizard asked curiously.

"Firstly, I want immunity for those I still care about, I don't care what happens to the rest of the world but I want those people safe and unharmed," Harry replied.

"And the second one?" Voldemort asked.

"I want Dumbledore dead! I don't care how that comes about but I want to see that stupid old coot's head up on a stake in the front lobby of the ministry building for everyone to see," Harry finished.

"Truly, that's all you want?" Voldemort asked disbelievingly.

"That's all I want," Harry confirmed.

"Not even an agreement that I will not kill you once I achieve my goals?" Voldemort asked.

Harry shook his head. "I don't care about my life anymore," he admitted honestly. "I care about keeping my loved ones out of danger and getting revenge on those who've wronged me, once I've achieved that and seen to it that things won't change once I'm gone you're free to kill me, I won't even fight back. Of course I'll want a guarantee that I will live to see the end of your campaign, I don't want one of your death eaters killing me before our agreement is complete, after that, as I said, I don't care."

Voldemort cocked his head to the side. "When did you become so morbid, Harry?" he asked softly.

"When I found out I have nothing to live for," Harry replied. "If I didn't have these goals to aim for I would have just let you kill me already."

Voldemort was thoughtful for a moment before he said. "I've wronged you, Harry, why do you expect me to believe you no longer wish revenge on me?"

Harry was expecting the question and he answered it with the truth. "Because you might have wronged me, but it was orchestrated by someone else and I know that now."

Voldemort looked utterly baffled and Harry couldn't help but grin at the other wizard's expression despite the sadness he was currently feeling. The dark lord opened his mouth to speak once more but Harry cut him off not wanting to talk anymore just now.

"You have my offer, it's up to you to think it over and decide what you want to do. I'll be back tomorrow night, have the contracts written up for me to look over and sign when I arrive if you agree." With that he used a spell Moody had taught him once to block the senses of anybody in a room for 15 seconds to cover his escape and slipped out of the room.

It wasn't long before Harry was back in Grimauld place, in his bed, thinking over what he'd done that night. Moody wasn't a loss for him, the man was a part of Dumbledore's little plan for Harry and deserved whatever he got. Now that the plan was set in motion however there was no going back and Harry had to decide how he felt about it all. He was about to go against everything he'd been taught to believe since he'd entered the wizarding world and help his enemy defeat those he was supposed to be saving. He was voluntarily giving the dark lord the power to control what he did until the day he died and that could mean anything. He honestly wasn't sure how to feel about that, all he knew for certain was that he would do whatever was necessary to see it through. He would keep those he loved safe, he would keep his promise to the only man who'd been brave enough to oppose the headmaster and tell Harry the truth and he would have his revenge, no matter what it took.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi all, I'm back again. I'm trying my best to update all the stories I have going at the moment but it's a slow process with a toddler who loves to steal mummy's computer and touch as many buttons as he can as soon as she opens a document. Anyway here's our next instalment of Carry on, I hope you like it. Reviews are like coconut chocolate to me, I love them lots and lots hint hint.

The Decision

After a long and exhausting day of wandering around Grimauld place, pretending he was upset about Mad Eye's disappearance and acting as if he didn't know most of the people around him were using him, Harry was once more wrapped in his invisibility cloak and heading to Riddle Manor. He found the dark lord exactly where he'd been the previous night, only this time the man was reading a long piece of parchment and Nagini was wrapped around his legs.

"Good evening, Dark Lord, have you reached a decision?" Harry asked.

Voldemort looked up and a smirk immediately crossed his snake-like features. "Good evening, Potter, indeed I have." He held up two pieces of parchment. "These are the magical contracts you wanted. Since I am certain you will not show yourself until you are happy with them and they are signed I shall send them into the dining room for you to read and add your list or those who shall remain protected from myself of my death eaters. Once you are satisfied you may sign the one contract and return it to me so I may sign also, that will be your copy. I will then sign the other and you may do so after, that way we are both protected from hidden attacks. Are you satisfied with this?" he asked.

Harry was surprised by how accepting and pleasant Voldemort was being about the whole thing. Of course Harry was pretty much handing control of himself over to the other man for the remainder of his days; if the roles were reversed Harry would have been pretty pleased too. He would not allow the older wizard to choose where he would look over the contracts however, he wasn't going to allow Voldy any control over him until the signing was done.

"I will take the contracts and do as you ask, but I will choose where I look over them," Harry replied, charming them to himself.

Voldemort let out a huff of laughter. "You don't trust me do you, Mr Potter?" he asked.

"Would you?" Harry asked in return, heading out of the room while the dark wizard's maniacal laughter covered his footsteps.

He found a room he'd been told about that was relatively safe from prying eyes and looked over the contracts. He was more than a little surprised by how few death eaters there were at the manor. He'd expected to have to dodge any number of them, but he hadn't seen even one. He wasn't complaining of course, it was just odd.

He looked over the contracts by lumos light with a grimace. The man could have been a lawyer for the thoroughness of the document Harry was currently reading. It certainly made sure Harry would come to no harm through the Dark Lord's campaign from the man himself, his death eaters or the damn snake, but gave the man full permission to kill Harry the moment it was over as well as ensuring Harry had to obey his every order until that day came. Harry had expected as much, what did surprise him however was how much work the man had put into ensuring Harry's loved ones, whose names he had left a place for at the bottom of the contract, remained safe. Most likely it was to ensure Harry's cooperation, but it still surprised him.

The biggest surprise of all however came in the last line of the contract. Frowning to himself Harry read and reread the sentence before adding the names of his loved ones to the space left for them in the contracts. The Dark Lord was a strange man, why shouldn't his terms be just as unusual. He added a couple of addendums he wished to make to both the contracts, then finally cut his skin to bring forth the blood for the signing. He brought his thumb down onto the parchment, watching as the print imbedded itself into the document and his signature appeared below it.

He returned to the throne room, as he'd taken to calling it in his head, and charmed the second contract to appear on the older man's lap. Voldemort grinned slyly and read over Harry's list of people. "It's an interesting group you've listed here, Harry, one must wonder why these people and not others."

"I will happily explain when the signing is complete," Harry replied.

The dark lord nodded and Harry saw his grin widen when he read Harry's addendums. "I had wondered what you'd add to the contract, Harry," he said thoughtfully as he mirrored the action Harry had performed earlier and placed his thumb print down on the second copy of the contract; obviously agreeing to Harry's additions. Knowing he was potentially leaving himself open to attack since both contracts weren't signed, but figuring the dark lord wouldn't have gone to all this trouble just to kill Harry the moment he saw him, Harry removed his invisibility cloak and moved forward to trade contracts with the man.

They eyed each other warily as they made the exchange and repeated their earlier actions on the opposite piece of parchment. The two parchments joined together as one and were suddenly encased by a powerful magical field. The field closed around the parchment tighter and tighter, until suddenly, as if repelled by a powerful internal force, the field exploded outward sending a shock wave flying out in all directions. In the back of his mind Harry wondered just how far that wave had travelled and who else might have felt it.

When at last the energy had subsided the parchments no longer existed, but Harry could feel the pull of his agreement with the other man as if it were a physical rope tying them to what they'd written down. Turning back to face the Dark Lord, who was still seated in his throne and smiling far too happily for Harry's liking, he did what he knew the man would want. He moved forward until he was mere inches from the snake faced creature and dropped elegantly to his knees, bowing before the dark wizard whose will would be his life until the day he died.

"My Lord," he greeted humbly as he knew was now his place, only this time the words didn't burn his throat, something he attributed to the contract he'd just signed.

He'd expected Voldemort to give him one of his usual maniacal laughs; instead he was surprised when the man spoke quietly to him.

"So, Harry Potter, you kneel before me ready to serve as I have always desired and I find I am unsure what it is I wish to do with that service right now, there are so many things I've imagined." The man was silent for several moments before speaking again, just as quietly as before. "Look at me," he ordered and Harry immediately obliged, finding himself eye to eye with the dark wizard who was looking at him with an unreadable expression in his ruby eyes. Harry knew he was either going to ask him questions or delve into his mind, before he did however there was something Harry wanted to give to him, it would show the dark lord some more good faith and it would make it easier for Harry to look at him, as he could tell was probably going to be happening a lot.

"I know you wish to ask me questions, of perhaps simply look for the answers in my mind, but if I may speak before you begin?" Harry asked quietly, not wanting to anger the man. While the contract said Voldemort could not harm him, it did not say the man could not hurt him, hurt and harm were very different things and there were many spells out there that could hurt a person without doing them any actual harm.

Voldemort gave him a considering before nodding in acquiescence.

Harry reached into the pocket of his robe and presented a vial of glowing, yellow liquid to the man. "This is how Dumbledore managed to avoid death from the curse, My Lord; it can heal any ailment or curse and restore the body no matter what damage has been done to it. I wish to impart this gift to you as I believe it will return to you that which should be yours," he explained, holding the bottle up and bowing his head once more.

He felt the man take the bottle and knew he was most likely studying it. "Are you telling me the truth about this potion, Harry?" he asked softly.

"I am, my Lord," Harry replied.

"You will not object to proving it then will you?" he hissed.

"Of course not, my Lord, if I may look up again I will gladly offer my memories of the event for you to witness for yourself," Harry offered and felt the dark lord's hand grasp his chin and tilt it up. No sooner had he met the man's scarlet gaze he felt the mind enter his and noticed how much less it hurt when he didn't try to fight back. It was still a violation, but not an excruciating one.

He directed the wizard to the memory he wanted, let him see the night that Dumbledore, weak and obviously suffering from the effects of a nasty curse, took Harry to the fountain from which the shining liquid sprung and collected a small amount in a cup. He saw Harry watch the headmaster intently, waiting for a moment when he was occupied drinking his collected liquid before turning and collecting a bottle of his own behind the headmaster's back and hiding it in his robes, thinking all the time how much he hated the old man and couldn't wait to be rid of him. He then saw Harry turn back to see the headmaster dropping to the floor in what appeared to be a healing sleep only to reawaken moments later refreshed and healed.

"This spring is what our ancestors called the fountain of eternal health, Harry," Dumbledore had then explained. "Its waters have the power to restore the body to its full state of health regardless of the damage it has sustained (Harry had already known that). It would be a good weapon against Voldemort, but it cannot be allowed to fall into his hands, one small sip would restore the dark lord's body completely."

Harry's thoughts had immediately flown unbidden to his memory of a young, handsome Tom Riddle from the diary in his second year and how much easier it would be for the dark lord to recruit followers if he looked a little more human again. "What would that mean for us, Head Master?" He had asked, curious to see if there were other advantages to Voldemort's restoration.

"Voldemort is already incredibly powerful but he is still … incomplete to best describe it. If his body were to be restored he'd be able to channel far greater power than he can now and our world would be in even graver danger," Dumbledore replied and with one quick swish of his wand the fountain was destroyed.

Harry had felt Voldemort's emotional reaction throughout the memory. He'd felt Glee at the idea of a fountain of health, amusement at Harry's thought process during the encounter, rage at Dumbledore for destroying it, then more glee at the idea that he now possessed the only remaining vial of the healing liquid. Harry felt the dark lord pull back from his mind and had to fight not to sigh as his thoughts became his own again. He'd expected the dark wizard to immediately down some of the liquid and restore himself; instead he commanded Harry to rise and moved to do the same.

"Return to your current residence, spend the day doing as you please, pack what you do not wish to leave behind and set up whatever plan you have in motion to explain your disappearance. When you return here tomorrow night you will not be leaving again," the dark lord commanded before gliding elegantly from the room.

Harry watched him go, completely dumfounded by what had just happened. Why hadn't he just drank the liquid, recovered his body and continued asking Harry questions?

"You'd best go on, Harry, if he returns and you're still here you won't be leaving at all," Nagini hissed as she passed him and followed her lord from the room. Harry was surprised by the loveliness of her voice; he had expected her to sound like a cranky old hag not a lovely young woman. Still, she was right, and recovering from his shock he threw his cloak back on and headed home for his last night of perceived freedom.

XX

Nagini followed her lord through the manor toward his room. The boy's gift had sparked a tension in the man and she was almost positive she knew why. Before his death in the Potter's house Tom had never been a vain man; not valuing himself or others by how they looked but by their power and for Tom, no matter how much power he possessed, it was never enough. His looks, while breathtakingly beautiful, never meant anything to him. He'd taken them for granted because it appeared that just like himself, no one else cared. When he'd returned to the world in his current form he'd been prepared for his followers to react to him the same way they had before … trouble was they hadn't.

They'd been afraid of him.

Tom was a dark lord, someone who walked in the shadows and enjoyed it. His childhood had been full of so much darkness and sadness and pain that he'd forced himself to love all the things that hurt him and in doing so he'd slowly warped his way of thinking until the only thing that gave him joy was hurting others. He'd known no other way and had never wanted to, until he'd come to Hogwarts and found a home, somewhere he thought he was valued and cared for.

He eventually came to realise that the care came with a price and the only ones who truly loved him for himself him were his fellow Slytherins. Knowing this and watching the way the rest of the school treated them had been the final straw for the poor boy and he'd turned away from all that was light in order to find a way to one day take control of the cruel world in which he'd grown up and make it better for people like him. The ones that treated him and his friends the worst were usually either muggle borns or Gryffindors, so those made his number one hated list, along with muggles themselves because his abusive bastard of a father had been one.

The darkness had warped him, badly, but he'd held on to one small shred of light; his friends and their caring. They'd followed him loyally for as long as he'd been alive and they had been all he cared about. Then he'd died and when he'd returned to the living and looked to his friends for the love he'd always held so dear he'd instead seen fear; not because of who he was but because of how he now looked. The people who'd never looked at him with anything other than friendship and love now looked at him in fear and that one little action had been enough to snuff the light out of the dark man forever … or so Nagini feared.

The large snake had never feared her master, she'd loved him like a mother would love a child for as long as she'd known him and wanted nothing more than to see him happy. It hurt her more than words could ever express to see him become more and more unbalanced with every follower who looked at him in fear. His response to their fear had been a violent one, which only served to increase that fear and so the vicious cycle continued, growing steadily worse. When the man was alone with her he just sat and brooded until he thought up a new way to hurt people, which didn't exactly cheer him up but distracted him from the pain, if only for a little while.

"I can hear your thoughts, dear one." Voldemort's voice drew her attention back to the present and knowing he'd most likely been listening to her entire thought process she mumbled a quiet apology, hoping she had not upset him. "Oh do not apologise, my darling, it is nice to be reminded that you care for me. You are now the only one," the man hissed back to her sadly.

"That is not true, the others care for you," she argued.

"The others fear me, and they are right to do so," Voldemort argued back.

"They do not understand," Nagini replied soothingly. "Lack of understanding is what brings about the most fear in humans, it has been written."

Voldemort chuckled. "You are a wise woman, my love, and you are very right. But no one's ever going to understand me, not like you do, there is nobody who wants to," he hissed sadly.

"You do not know that, you have never given another a chance," Nagini argued quietly.

"The others do not wish a chance and I do not blame them. Look at me, darling, no human in their right mind would desire to be close to me as I am now," he argued back.

"Will you drink the liquid and restore your body then?" Nagini asked.

"I am uncertain as to whether I want to," Voldemort replied thoughtfully. "I have become quite accustomed to being alone these last couple of years." He looked down at the liquid still shining brightly in its bottle. "And yet, I find myself tempted. Not just because I will be able to wield more power, believe me I will enjoy having my full strength back, but …" he trailed off and Nagini rose up onto her tail in order to get a better look at his face. His expression was guarded, unsure; it worried her as he had never been afraid to reveal anything to her in the past. What could have caused his hesitation? The boy?

"It is something to do with the boy, yes," he answered her unspoken question. "When I was in his mind before I saw … a memory he had of my teenage self, the Horcrux I hid in the diary. Harry spent time with that version of me and … he found me attractive, despite what I was doing or the fact that I wanted him dead … I have never heard someone think of me as attractive, not even before my death, it was … surprising and … flattering."

Nagini blinked in surprise at his words. "Do you … desire the boy?" she asked.

He chuckled at her surprise, "I know, it hardly seems likely does it, my love; I've spent most of my life trying to find ways to kill him. I have however, always harboured a desire to … possess the boy and his insane beauty and power. Before now I had never thought I would be this close to him without the two of us pointing wands at each other, but now … it seems things have changed," he finished quietly, his brow furrowed as if deep in thought.

All of a sudden Nagini could see a hint of that small slither of light Tom had once held shining in his ruby eyes. "Will you pursue him, Tom?" She asked eagerly.

"I honestly doubt young Mr Potter will allow me anywhere near him in that fashion, darling, despite what I heard in his thoughts earlier," Voldemort replied with a forlorn smile.

"It is not his choice is it. He is bound to serve you until the day of his death, he must do as you command," Nagini hissed suggestively.

Voldemort shook his head at her. "You may find this hard to believe, sweetheart, but I do actually have a sense of morality when it comes to these kinds of things. You will notice I have never allowed a death eater to rape a woman or a child during any of the missions or raids I have sent them on. It is something I feel is simply wrong.

Nagini tilted her head to the side in confusion. She'd been by Tom's side for decades and yet he could still surprise her like this; amazing.

Voldemort laughed at her confusion and continued on his way down to his room. Nagini followed close behind and for a while they walked in silence as she pondered this new piece of information. She wanted Tom to be happy; if this boy could help bring it about she needed to find a way to make it happen.

When they reached the bedroom Voldemort knelt down to lift her into his arms and kissed her gently on the end of her snout. "Do you ever think about anything but me?" he asked softly.

"Yes, I think about mice," she replied honestly and was happy when he laughed. He placed her down on the bed and climbed in beside her, allowing her to get comfortable before settling down and drifting off quickly into a peaceful sleep, the vial of bright yellow liquid still grasped in his hand and held close to his chest. Nagini didn't know what was going to happen in the next couple of months but she would try her hardest to ensure her master got the happiness she wanted for him. The boy had seemed sad too, maybe all they needed was someone to cheer them both up a little, someone who understood how they felt.

XX

Harry thought about returning to Grimauld place immediately, but decided instead to head to Spinner's end to see how Severus was doing. He slipped through the wards without a hitch, the magic already having been keyed to recognise him, and knocked quietly on the door. It was opened mere seconds later by a wary Luna who ushered Harry quickly inside and shut the door behind him.

"How's Severus?" Harry immediately asked the blonde.

"Good, he's finally up and walking around," Luna replied with obvious relief.

"That's good," Harry said with a nod. "I'm going to have to bring him up with Voldemort soon," he added.

Luna gave him a sad smile and asked. "How are things going in that regard?"

"Contract's all signed, I'm officially in the service of the dark lord," Harry replied.

Luna nodded gravely. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked quietly.

"If I didn't it would be too late now," he replied just as quietly, before reaching forward to grasp the girl's shoulders. "I have to do this, you know I do, there's no other way."

The girl took a shaky breath and reached forward to pull Harry into a hug. "It's not fair," she whispered, holding him tightly. "You shouldn't have to die."

"Life never is for me," Harry replied gently. "But I was always going to die, Luna, at least now I get to choose when it happens and I'll be able to keep you and the others safe."

"I know," she sobbed. "It doesn't make it right." There was nothing else Harry could say to make her feel better so he didn't say anything, allowing her to hold him until she was ready to let go. "Have you told the others yet?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"No, I'm not sure I should to be honest," Harry replied, releasing her as she pulled back to look at him. "You know they're not going to take it well and half of them won't believe the reason why I'm doing this."

"You have to tell someone, maybe Hermione, she can explain it to the others if you do," Luna argued.

"No, she'll stop me from going or she'll tell Dumbledore, it'll take far too long to convince her of his plan and I don't have the time before I have to leave. No, it can only be you, Luna, when the time comes to explain what's happening I want it to be you telling the story, please," he asked quietly.

Tears flooded her eyes once more as she nodded in agreement. "All right, Harry, I'll do it for you," she agreed.

"Thank you, Luna," Harry replied, before asking, "Is Severus awake?"

Luna shook her head. "No, but I can go and wake him, it'll just take a second," she offered, moving toward the stair case that led up to the bedrooms.

"No, it's all right," he said stopping her. "He needs to sleep, don't wake him. When you see him tomorrow just tell him I was here and to give me a couple of days before presenting himself to the dark lord so I can make sure Voldemort knows what happened the night with Dumbledore and he doesn't just kill Severus the minute he walks through the door. Come tomorrow night I'll be a permanent resident in Slytherin Manor so I'll have plenty of time with the dark lord, but I don't know how long it will take to get through all the questions he's sure to ask me."

Luna nodded, "I'll tell him," she promised.

"Have you heard from Draco at all?" he asked, wondering about the fate of the blonde Slytherin.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not surprised though, I doubt his mother is letting him out of her sight at the moment," she replied and Harry could tell she was trying to stay positive.

Harry nodded. "All right, I have to get going. If I see Draco I'll find a way to let him know you're okay." Here he paused and took her hands gently in his. "You have been an amazing friend, Luna, thank you, and I hope I'll see you again before the end," he said softly.

At this her face crumbled and she broke down in tears. "I don't want you to die, Harry," she sobbed. He pulled her into his arms once more and gently stroked her hair.

"It's going to be okay, Luna," he whispered reassuringly as she clung to him and sobbed into his shoulder. He allowed her to hold him a little longer before pulling back and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Be strong," he whispered, pulling away and heading quickly for the door. As he reached the edge of the wards he turned back to see the girl standing just outside the door, watching him go. He gave her a wave and disapparated back to Grimauld place, blinking back the tears that burnt his eyes. He hoped he'd see her again, but he had a feeling it would be the last time he laid eyes on the girl who he'd come to love like a sister.

XX

Harry spent the next day with his Gryffindor friends at the Weasley burrow, having been invited there for an end of year party Ron was throwing. He'd spent the night before, after his return from spinner's end, packing up the things he didn't want to leave behind. He couldn't take much since he planned on making it look like he'd been kidnapped, but there was a photo album he'd bought and not shown anyone that had copies of all his favourite photos, including the ones of his parents. He'd also grabbed his invisibility cloak and a change of clothes or two. He doubted Voldemort would accept him wearing muggle attire while in his manor, but he couldn't walk around naked so he had to take something. Other than that he only took a book he was fond of, a small wooden box with other personal items he'd kept hidden from his friends and the new broom he'd bought without anyone knowing, all of which he threw in a bag and shrunk so it would fit in his pocket, wistfully eyeing his firebolt every few moments during the packing process. He took it all with him to the burrow intent on 'being kidnapped' after most of the guests had gone home. He knew how much it would upset his friends who truly loved him, but there was nothing for it, it had to be done.

He spent the day just having fun, allowing himself to forget, even if only for a few hours, the darkness ahead of him. He spent as much time as he could with Hermione, Ginny, and the twins, knowing it would be a long time before he saw them again, if he ever did. A few order members were also present keeping an eye out for death eater activity, so he got to spend a bit of time with Remus as well. The werewolf seemed preoccupied and worried and Harry was pretty sure he knew exactly why. He wasn't supposed to however, so he pretended to be oblivious, even though he wanted nothing more than to tell the man that Severus was safe and well. Remus would never say it, but Harry knew how the werewolf felt for the potions master and he hoped one day Severus noticed it too.

As always thought, despite his obvious worries, Remus was the picture of loving uncle and gave Harry his full attention. They had a drink together and a good chat before he had to head off and report to Dumbledore. He was one of the only order members Harry had chosen to save. He loved Remus and he was happy to know the man would be kept safe, he just hoped the same could be said for Severus as he couldn't put the other man on the contract for fear of what the dark lord would think. If the dark wizard thought Severus was a traitor he wouldn't keep him in the close ranks of the death eaters anymore and they needed Severus' skill, and the information he could gain as a spy, if they wanted to defeat Dumbledore.

It was getting dark by the time everyone started to leave and Harry used the confusion of the departures to sneak into the field beside the burrow and hide his cloak and broom for a quick escape later. He had dinner with the family, including Arthur who Harry had a difficult time being civil to, knowing the man was in on Dumbledore's plan for Harry. When it was over Harry helped Molly with the dishes and had a cup of hot chocolate with the others close to his age, including Ron who was as difficult to be near as Arthur, before saying he wanted some fresh air and ducking outside. He knew either Hermione of Ginny would be out there soon to see if he was alright, they liked doing that when he was trying to get time alone. Not to invade his space but because they cared.

He jogged over to the field and quickly found where he'd hidden his stuff. As he threw the cloak on he heard the door open and knew it was now or never. Climbing on his broom and making sure it was covered by the cloak Harry kicked off the ground so he was just floating there ready for a quick take off. He then fired several spells from his wand that singed the ground around him and screamed loudly before taking off in a hurry and floating up into the air to hover above the wards where he could watch what was happening below him.

He saw all the Weasleys and Hermione run out into the night, wands drawn and searching the area for signs of an enemy or Harry. They called out to him frantically and ran into the field in a desperate search. The wouldn't find him of course, they'd think he'd been taken, and as much as he knew this was how it had to happen he couldn't help the awful guilty feeling that gnawed at his stomach with the thought of the pain and sorrow he was causing the people who truly loved him.

Not wanting to be present the moment they found the area with all the blasted grass Harry turned away from the Burrow and the closest thing he'd ever had to a family and headed toward Slytherin Manor. His life as the boy who lived was over; he was now Harry Potter, servant of the dark lord. He used the flight to the manor to compose himself and disappear behind the cold mask he'd perfected over the last couple of months in preparation for what was to come. He couldn't let the dark lord see weakness; it would only bring about his downfall.

XX

End of chapter

So what do we think? The story with the most reviews per update will be the first updated next time :P


	3. In Service

Yay, another update! Thank you all so much for your feedback and again sorry for those I haven't had a chance to reply to yet. It's really pleasing to hear that you're all enjoying the story so much, it makes all the work worth it. Anyway on with the chapter, I'll write more at the end.

In Service

Nagini slithered through the manor ensuring everything was ready for the boy's arrival. Voldemort had been running the house elves ragged all morning preparing the manor for another occupant, although if you asked the man himself he would refuse to admit that Harry's arrival had anything to do with it.

"I am simply having the house elves tidy up around here, Nagini. I am the dark lord after all and I should live in a place fitting of the dark lord," he'd told her that morning when she asked. She had laughed at him and headed off to find some mice, not wanting to get trampled underfoot by a house elf which she would then have to eat because she couldn't abide people standing on her. They were terrible to digest, not to mention Tom would then have to replace it.

She had returned only moments ago to find the manor completely spotless and sparkling with new furniture and draperies. The wooden floors were polished and the carpets either replaced or meticulously cleaned. The windows were open to allow in sunlight and air the place, which had, until that point, smelled a little musty, but now smelled like summer breeze. The death eaters who lived in the manor with their lord, 5 of them in total, were walking around the downstairs level looking lost and confused, having been kicked out of their rooms by the house elves who wanted to clean them. She hissed at them as she passed, enjoying how they scurried out of the way, much like the mice in the stable out back had done earlier that morning. Once she was past them she headed up the stairs, eager to see what Voldemort had decided to do about a room for their new guest.

She knew the man planned on keeping Harry close, for his own protection as well as the boy's. The dark lord had also mentioned having a mask made that Harry could wear when the death eaters were around so they wouldn't find out who he was and accidentally cause him harm not realising Voldemort was already well aware of his presence.

She found Tom in his room and slithered inside to ask where the boy would be staying. She didn't need to ask however, as the moment she entered the room she saw a door that hadn't existed before.

"Ah, Nagini, how was your morning hunt?" she turned at the sound of Tom's voice and drew back in surprise when she saw the man standing before her. It was Tom, her Tom, the Tom he'd been before his death that night in Godrick's Hollow.

"Tom … you look-"

"Different?" he cut her off with a raised eyebrow.

"No, not different, the same. The way you used to," she replied, slithering around him to take in the full, currently naked, view of her master's body.

"Do you approve, my dear?" he asked when she was finished her assessment and had returned to his front.

She rose up on her tail and darted out her tongue to lick his cheek, the closest thing to a kiss she would ever be able to give him. "While you have always been yourself to me it is good to see you with your true body back," she replied honestly and he reached forward to pull her into his arms, allowing her to wrap her body around his and return the embrace.

"I am glad of this also," he replied with a smile, that looked much more fitting on his face now that he had lips again.

"I see you have made a room for the boy," she stated pointing her head in the direction of the new door on the wall. "I admit I am surprised, I knew you wanted to keep him close but I thought you would simply have him stay in one of the other rooms in this wing. No one else is allowed up here so he wouldn't be threatened," she explained her reasoning.

"Ah, Nagini, as much as I wish that were true you know as well as I do that there are many among my death eaters whose curiosity it a dangerous thing. Bellatrix for example. As much as I trust her to do my bidding I do not trust her not to break the rules and go snooping, particularly as Mr Potter will not often leave my side and we are both well aware of her somewhat disturbing feelings for me," Voldemort explained. "This way if anyone wants to see just who my new companion is they have to come through me and you before they even get close, something that isn't going to happen. That room, by rights, does not exist. Anyone walking around the halls wouldn't know it was there as I have merely widened the room internally and added a new wall for the boy's privacy, I think it will be the safest option. Besides, there will not be much time during the day where Mr Potter will not be by my side, as per the contract," Voldemort finished, placing Nagini back on the floor and turning to study himself in the full body mirror he'd attached to his wall.

"Am I handsome, Nagini?" he asked quietly, his ruby eyes still studying his naked form.

"You are indeed, Tom," Nagini replied, enjoying the smile this brought to his face.

"The elves will be here in a moment to measure me up for the new robes I've ordered them to make. What colour do you think I should go with? Black, green, purple or red to match my eyes?" he asked.

Nagini laughed at the man's sudden onset of vanity. "Well that depends, are you asking in general or are you speaking specifically of when our guest arrives?" she asked slyly.

He glared at her in the mirror. "I am not dressing up to impress, Potter," he hissed.

"Of course not, Tom. However if you were I'd choose something in red and black, he is a Gryffindor after all," she suggested before slithering over to the door to Harry's room and nudging it open.

The room was quite nice, Tom had even acquired a new bed and bed linens for it as well as new carpets. There was a window allowing light into the room, although Nagini was sure that if she looked at the building from outside she wouldn't find one, a private little walk in robe and ensuite, a desk and a chair, a comfortable couch for reading and bookshelves lining the walls. All in all it looked like Tom's room only on a smaller scale.

"What do you think, lovely?" Voldemort called to her and Nagini returned to the main bedroom where her master was being measured by a house elf for his new robes.

"I think it will suite our young guest just fine," she commented as the elf disappeared with a pop.

"Glad you approve," Voldemort replied, heading for his private bathroom. "I've decided I want to have a little gathering tonight, a masquerade in fact. The house elves are sending out the invitations as we speak. In the mean-time I think I'll take a bath, care to join me?" he offered and Nagini quickly slithered after him. She never said no to a bath.

XX

Harry arrived at the Dark Lord's manor and slipped inside as he had every other time he'd come. This time however he found the manor well lit and excessively clean. The house elves were bustling around the place in a flurry of activity and death eaters were wandering the halls looking as lost as Harry felt. He managed to slip past them and was heading up stairs to look for Voldemort when he happened upon Nagini who noticed him immediately despite the invisibility cloak and headed in his direction.

She stopped just shy of a metre away from him. "Am I in danger if I approach today?" she asked warily.

"No," he hissed quietly in return, "I have not used that spell today."

"Good, come along then," she hissed back, leading him up the stairs and down a corridor to the left. "Master is in his suite awaiting your arrival," she informed him.

Harry followed her until she reached a door and ordered him to wait before slithering inside. Moments later he heard the dark lord's voice order him to come in and he took a deep breath to compose himself before doing as ordered. As soon as he was through the door he closed it behind him and removed his invisibility cloak. The room was nothing like he imagined it, tastefully decorated in black, green and purple with a very large canopy bed in the centre, constructed of a dark brown wood with matching bedside tables. The walls were lined with bookshelves, each filled to bursting with books. There was one large window under which was a comfortable looking black leather couch and a desk and chair. There was a door on the right hand wall and one on the left. The door on the left was currently open and Harry could see the end of Nagini's tail poking out of the doorway.

"Good evening, Mr Potter," Voldemort's voice greeted him from behind the door. It sounded different somehow, richer. "I trust you had no difficulty on your way in."

"No, My Lord," Harry replied, not sure what he should do until a house elf appeared and pulled on his hand.

"Lissy is going to show you your room and take your measurements, do as she instructs," the Dark Lord called and Harry followed the elf through the door on the right hand wall. The room he found behind the door was possibly the nicest he'd ever had. It was set out much like the Dark Lord's only slightly smaller with plain coloured sheets and drapes and the bookshelves currently empty. It was really lovely, a little disturbing of course that he was only a wall away from the Dark lord and that the only way he could get out was by going through the other man's room.

Well, the dark lord had written in the contract that Harry was not to leave his side unless specifically allowed or ordered to, Harry just hadn't expected him to be so keen on enforcing it while they slept. Still, as odd as Harry found it, Voldemort was calling the shots now and he didn't have a choice so there was no point mulling over it.

He put his stuff down on the bed and held still so the elf could measure him. When she was done she told him to shower and she would be back with clothing for him by the time he was out. Harry did as she asked, pleased to find towels, soap and shampoo already present in the bathroom. He showered thoroughly and emerged to find that there were in fact clothes waiting for him, and not just any clothes but dress robes, really nice ones. The Jacket and pants were black, the shirt was violet, the waistcoat was a darker purple and the tie was the same purple as the shirt with darker purple patterns to match the waistcoat.

The elf helped him get them on before taking his glasses and mending his eyesight with a snap of her fingers. Harry never knew house elves could do that. She then poked around with his hair until she had his unruly curls in a style that could only be described as bedroom hair, something that made harry blush. He had to admit he looked damn good. The last thing she did was pick up an ornate black and purple mask decorated with jewels and sporting a large purple feather out one side. She placed it on his face and Harry felt it immediately mould around his face to fit him like a second skin. It ran along his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose covering his eyes and most of the top half of his face. It didn't end smoothly as masks in the muggle world often did to make them easier to wear; it had instead jagged, curling edges, one of which covered his scar which Harry was positive had been the intent. She secured it to his face with a spell and at last she was done with him. She allowed him to peruse his reflection for a moment before informing him that the master was awaiting him in the adjoining room.

Harry couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Not only did he look mildly ridiculous but he'd be floating through a room full of death eaters and none of them would have any idea who he was. He hid his wand holster in his sleeve and ensured his wand was secure before heading out to meet Voldemort.

He entered the lord's bedroom and had just closed the door behind him when he spotted the man and stopped in shock. Tom Riddle the teenager had been handsome; Lord Voldemort the man was utterly delectable. The man's smile when he spotted Harry made Harry's knees momentarily weak and he had to remind himself that he was looking at the man who wanted him dead.

"Good evening once more, Mr Potter," he greeted Harry as he had earlier, looking over him with assessing eyes. "I must thank you for your lovely gift yesterday. As you can see it definitely worked out in my favour," he said, motioning to himself before turning his attention back to Harry. "Lissy did a wonderful job on your robes I see and even your hair, I never thought I'd see that untameable mop doing anything but falling as it always does." He turned away then and Lissy placed a mask very much like Harry's, only it was red and black with more ornaments and a bigger feather, on the dark lord's face.

Harry took the moment the man was occupied to study him. His robes were much like Harry's only just like his mask they were two tones of red where Harry's were purple and he wore black leather gloves as an accompaniment. The man himself was tall; at least a head taller than Harry and that was after Harry had passed his 16 year old growth spurt. He had long, silky, black hair that had just the slightest wave in the mid-lengths to ends, skin the colour of polished marble, sensuous blood red lips and eyes that looked like sparkling chips of ruby. Harry had been right, this Voldemort was a hell of a lot easier to look at than the snake faced being he'd been before, he'd just have to be careful not to be drawn in by the man's inhumanly beautiful face and forget that in the end he still wanted Harry dead.

Lissy moved away so the man could study her handiwork and look himself over before dismissing her. He then turned to Harry and asked. "Shall we go?" motioning to the door.

"Yes, my lord," Harry replied and followed the older wizard from the room. The man's voice felt like a sensual caress, no wonder he'd managed to entice so many people to serve him before he died. Nagini stopped him just outside the door and held a pair of gloves like Voldemort's out toward him with her mouth. He took them and thanked her before jogging to catch up with the older wizard, pulling them on as he went.

"I decided that the best way to reveal my newly restored body to the rest of the death eaters was to have a party." The lord explained when Harry was walking beside him once more. "I decided on a masquerade because come tomorrow you will be wearing a mask as a permanent feature and I figured it would be a good excuse for my death eaters if they ask why I will not allow them to see your face. I can tell them you simply looked too delectable in a mask tonight and I therefore ordered you to wear one from now on. Of course I don't really need to come up with anything, I am their boss and this is my manor, I can do what I like in it. When you have people like Bellatrix around however, one can never be too careful," Voldemort explained and Harry nodded.

"Tonight you will address me as My Lord and nothing more. I will not address you or introduce you by name at all. As far as anyone else will know you are my newest death eater with who I have found favour due to your bringing me the information on Moody's whereabouts and the healing liquid. I shall not have to call on you as you will not leave my side this evening and you will obey my every command. I will tell the others that you are not permitted to speak to anyone unless I give my express permission and if you are spoken to you are not to answer, is that understood?" Voldemort asked, stopping just before the stairs and turning to face Harry.

"Yes, My Lord," Harry replied and the Dark Lord gave him one more once over before making his way down the stairs, Harry following close behind. They reached the entrance to the ballroom and Harry could hear the sound of music and conversation floating under the door. Voldemort alerted the house elf who was standing by the door that he was ready to be announced and moments later the music stopped and a young witch's voice was heard through the door.

"Lords and ladies if I may have your attention please. It is my great pleasure to announce the arrival of your host, our lord and master the great Lord Voldemort."

Applause rang through the room and Voldemort signalled for Harry to stand back as the doors opened and he stepped out onto the raised balcony overlooking the ballroom. The applause died and for a moment everything was silent, save for several gasps of shock. Then Harry heard the rustling of fabric and he could only guess that the death eaters were all bowing to their master.

"Welcome friends and loyal subjects," The Dark Lord spoke. "I have called you here on this most auspicious evening to help me celebrate not one, or even two, but three pieces of wonderful news. The first and most obvious of these being the restoration of my body; something that I have been searching for the magic to perform since my return to the mortal plane. My power will only increase now and we are moving ever closer to our goal of overthrowing the Ministry." Applause rang through the ballroom and when it had died down the Dark Wizard continued.

"The second is the capture of Mad Eye Moody which was expertly handled by Bellatrix and the team she took out with her last night. Moody was kidnapped from his home and now resides in my dungeon, well done, Bellatrix." More applause filled the air and Harry heard Bellatrix laughing like a lunatic, obviously pleased with herself. "And finally," Voldemort continued when the applause died down once more. "It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to the reason for our current good fortune. The man that supplied me not only with the whereabouts of Moody and how to get past his wards, but also with the healing liquid that restored my body. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my new right hand."

He motioned to the door behind him and taking it as his cue to approach Harry moved to the Dark Lord's side and was greeted by uproarious applause. He gave the group a slight bow before turning to the dark lord and giving him one that was much more exaggerated. Voldemort was obviously pleased with him as he held out his hand to assist Harry to his feet.

"I must ask that you do not address the young man directly this evening and direct any questions you have for or about him to myself. I expect you all to treat him with the upmost respect and warn anyone who may be feeling jealous of his position that any kind of attack made on him in the attempt to take that position for themselves will be met with a very painful death, regardless of who you are," he added with a pointed look in Bellatrix's direction. "I thank you for your continued support and hope you have a wonderful evening," the Dark Lord finished and headed down the stairs to join his death eaters in the ball room, his hand, surprisingly, still holding on to Harry's.

He released it at last when they reached the bottom of the stairs and several of the Death Eaters approached the dark lord and bowed in greeting. Harry recognised a few of them, but most were foreign to him.

One person that did stand out was Umbridge. Even if he hadn't had her stupid laugh burnt into his memory the insane amount of pink frills covering her dress and mask would have given it away. At that moment he was happier than he could express that Voldemort had given him the no speaking rule on their way down. The woman, most likely wanting to get on his good side in the hopes that it would help her climb higher in the ranks, moved to grab his hand and introduce herself. The stunned look on her face when he pulled his hand away as if touching her would burn him and refused to address her at all made him want to laugh his head off. But he ignored the urge and turned his attention to Voldemort and what he was discussing with a group of the others instead.

When the group dispersed Voldemort brought his hand to Harry's face to hold him still and whispered in his ear. "Did Umbridge try and speak to you?"

Unfortunately yes," Harry replied softly, memories of the blood quill fresh in his mind. "I don't suppose there's any chance you've run out of uses for her and she might be finding herself on the receiving end of a killing curse any time soon?" he asked.

Voldemort froze for a moment; then suddenly he chuckled. "We still have not discussed why you decided to join me, Harry, but I find myself more and more curious with each word you speak," he whispered into Harry's ear, causing Harry to tremble slightly despite himself. His ears were a sensitive place for him and it seemed the effect the man's voice had on him only intensified when he whispered.

This reaction was foreign to Harry. He should be repulsed by the man's close proximity but he wasn't, in fact he didn't mind it at all. Was it something to do with the contract? Harry didn't remember reading anything that would suggest so, but he couldn't imagine any other reason for him to react this way, he certainly never had before. He hoped the dark lord hadn't felt his reaction, but the hope quickly died when he felt the man's grip on his face suddenly tighten.

He soon found his face turned to meet the dark lord's and he knew Voldemort was planning to use some form of legimancy on him. His ruby eyes were full of too many emotions to name, but anger was definitely chief among them.

"Does my close proximity bother you, Mr Potter?" he hissed angrily and Harry felt the dark wizard's mind probing into the top layer of his own, a test to see if he was lying when he replied.

"No, My Lord, it does not," he replied honestly and moments later the look of anger faded from the dark wizard's crimson eyes, which then filled with curiosity and … was that delight?

"I see," he replied, a sly grin spreading across his sensuous, blood red lips. His grip on Harry's face relaxed into something that was almost a caress and for a moment he just studied Harry's most likely wide eyes. "Do you desire her death?" he whispered and it took Harry a moment to remember what it was they were talking about before the new topic distracted him. Umbridge … The Dark Lord was asking if Harry wanted her dead. Would he really do that for Harry? Was it what Harry really wanted? He hated the bitch for what she'd done to him and his classmates but did he really want her to die for it?

Honestly, yes, he did.

The dark lord was still very close to him and waiting patiently for his answer, his eyes intently studying Harry's face. He had to word his reply right of course, he didn't want to upset the other man. "If she still serves a purpose and will help you achieve your goals then no, I do not. If she has outworn her usefulness however …" He trailed off, allowing the other man to draw his own conclusions.

Voldemort's smile widened. "Well, well, well, Harry Potter, those have to be the last words I ever thought I'd hear out of you. The story you have yet to tell me must be a good one, I look forward to it." He pulled away from Harry and motioned to Bellatrix who was standing just off to the right, watching them with wary, searching eyes. She brightened as soon as she noticed she had his attention and skipped to his side.

"How may I serve you, My Lord?" she asked.

"Umbridge broke my rules, Bellatrix," he told the black clad woman. "I do not wish to interrupt the party with the consequences, but I would like you to keep an eye on her. When it looks like she is leaving I want you and Rodolphus to stun her and take her to the dungeon. Make sure she and Moody are in different cells," the dark lord commanded.

"As you wish, My Lord," Bellatrix agreed before slipping away to find her husband and inform him of the plan.

Voldemort moved back over to Harry and whispered in his ear. "By tonight, or at the very latest early tomorrow morning, Umbridge will be in my dungeon. Consider it a reward for your good behaviour so far. Keep it up and there will be more."

Harry closed his eyes as the man's voice threatened to bring about another tremble and when he was sure he was composed enough to speak without his words coming out a jumbled mess he said, "Thank you, My Lord." Then as an afterthought he asked. "How may I show my gratitude for this gift?"

Voldemort smirked and brought his hand up to gently touch Harry's cheek. "For tonight your continued good behaviour will be sufficient," he replied and Harry gave the man a small bow of gratitude, which only served to make the dark lord's grin grow even wider. For a moment the lord just watched him, his eyes studying Harry's face as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Then, as if a bomb had dropped, he turned away and his attention seemed to move on to the rest of his guests who he was yet to talk to. Harry took a deep breath to compose himself and followed after the other man, not wanting to fall out of his good graces.

XX

The rest of the night was uneventful, but Harry could definitely say he learnt a lot. The Dark Lord's followers were many and varied and they hailed not only from the UK but many other countries as well. There were no more intense moments between Voldemort and himself and Harry managed to go the entire night without breaking any of the rules set for him, which appeared to please the Dark Lord greatly. Harry was more than ready for bed by the time the party drew to a close and as soon as all the guests were gone, and Umbridge was securely locked up in the dungeons, Voldemort ushered him upstairs to bed.

He barely paid any attention to the hallway or the Dark lord's room as he passed through it. When he reached the door to his room however he paused and not wanting to get on the man's bad side asked. "Is there anything else you require from me before I retire, My Lord?"

Voldemort looked surprised by the question and for a moment it seemed to Harry that he may be giving the answer serious thought. His crimson gaze flew to meet Harry's for a moment before he shook his head and wished Harry a good night.

Harry bid him goodnight in return and headed into his room. He barely managed to change out of his dress robes and throw on a pair of pyjama pants before falling into bed. He was exhausted and it was probably a good thing. Had he not been the idea of spending his first night in the clutches of the Dark Lord would have surely kept him awake all night. As it was he barely remembered his head hitting the pillow before sleep claimed him.

XX

The argument going on behind the door was angry and heated and Ron was glad for once that they'd chosen to leave him and the other teens out of it. Harry was gone. And not only was he gone he'd been taken from right outside the Weasley Burrow. The Order was furious with Arthur for not managing the wards around the property correctly, Molly was distraught beyond words that she'd let him out of her sight, Remus was berating himself for going back to report rather than staying until Harry left; all in all it was a recipe for disaster. Ron was happy to be on this side of the door this time.

Hermione and Ginny were up in Ginny's room, huddled together sobbing and blaming themselves for not following Harry immediately when he went outside for air. Fred and George were with them and trying to be consoling. Only Ron sat alone in the kitchen, waiting to hear what the adults were going to do about the boy's disappearance. He told the others he was upset and just wanted some alone time, but in truth it was far more than that.

He was torn. On one hand he'd always known Harry was going to die before the war ended, he'd known since the night before he'd left for his first year of Hogwarts just as he'd known it was his duty to ensure Harry stayed on the path they needed him on to save the world. It was a mission he'd accepted gladly because it meant he could save his family and he'd befriended Harry with the intention of seeing it through. Somewhere along the way though Harry had become more to him than a mission, he'd become a friend and Ron had grown to truly like the other boy, even love him in a friends only way.

It had upset him to know that at the end of it all the boy was destined to die, but he knew it was the only way so he'd soldiered on. Now Harry was gone, and not at the end of the war but before it had really even started. All the years of planning Ron, Arthur, Dumbledore and most of the rest of the order had done were for nothing. He was upset that Harry was gone, sad for what might have happened to him, but also incredibly angry at the moron for being taken now, before he'd done what they needed him to do. His mind was currently at war with itself, trying to decide which emotion was stronger.

Ron's family weren't safe, they were just in more danger and now there was nothing Ron could do about it except wait for new orders from Dumbledore. He buried his face in his hands and sighed; this was all a big mess. What were they going to do without their damned hero? Who was going to kill Voldemort now? Nobody would fight if Harry wasn't leading them, except maybe the order. They were all too scared; they'd just end up surrendering themselves to Voldemort and the order wouldn't be enough to beat the death eaters.

Knowing there was nothing to do except wait Ron growled in annoyance, deciding to focus on the more useful emotion of the lot, his anger. Anger made you stronger, being upset just made you a useless wreck like his mother was bound to be for some time now. Damn Harry to hell for being taken, damn him for failing them all. Ron should never have wasted his time befriending the useless would be saviour.

Yes, the anger was definitely more useful than the pain. It felt better too.

XX

End of chapter

So what did we think? I've always thought of Voldemort, before his death, as something like a vampire. Not the whole blood sucking thing, but the alluring, irresistible part, hence why Harry's being so strongly affected by him. Don't worry I'm not just going to have them fall into bed or anything of the sort, those stories annoy me because they don't seem realistic to me, just like the ones where Harry's automatically evil end enjoys killing people all of a sudden. I will warn you Voldemort may seem to act OOC at early points in this story, don't worry it will be explained as the story progresses. Any questions you have feel free to ask.

Also I've created a facebook profile under my penname of Kayla Dark if anyone wants to look me up. I'll be posting warning of updates and the like on there. The email account to look up is darkdancerkayla incase you can't find me with my name. Feel free to jump on and ask any questions you might have or just say hi.

See you soon

Kayla


	4. Chapter 4

Hi everyone. So this is last weeks update that was missed obviously. Unfortunately my son got quite sick with influenza B on last Thursday and I got sick on Sunday. All in all it was a rubbish week. My poor little man could barely walk and sleep was a rare thing in our household. It doesn't happen that much as it is so getting less really makes my life hard.

I have to ask a question, A reviewer has asked me to make it obvious when parcel tongue is being spoken. I've honestly never seen it necessary since it's only when someone is talking to Nagini and what else would they be speaking? So I'd like to ask if anyone else thinks it is necessary. I've used italics in this chapter but I'd like to know if you think it's needed or not.

Anyway onto the chapter and there will be more notes at the end.

Let the Games Begin

The following morning when Harry awoke it took him several moments to work out where he was. When the answer came to him it was accompanied by a feeling of dread and Harry had to fight hard not to panic at the thought that there was only a wall between him and the dark lord.

'He can't hurt you, he can't hurt you," he chanted to himself, even though he knew it wasn't entirely true. It took him a lot of effort, but he eventually managed to calm himself and just as his heart beat was returning to its normal rate, a pop sounded near the door making him jump and his heart raced in his chest once more. It turned out to be Lissy popping in to wake him up and she immediately apologised for startling him.

"It's fine, Lissy," he replied, giving the elf who was standing at the door, looking wary, a reassuring smile. "Did you want me for something?" he asked.

"Master wishes Harry Potter to rise and dress for breakfast," Lissy replied. A click of her fingers and a mask appeared in her hands. "Master wishes Harry Potter to wear this down to breakfast," she explained, holding it out to him.

Harry took the mask and studied it. Unlike the mask from the previous evening this one was obviously designed to be worn for longer periods of time. It was made of what Harry figured was silver and the inside was lined with what appeared to be black silk. It still had an unusual shape to it, with curling edges, one bigger than the rest of course to cover Harry's scar. The outside was polished silver with swirls of green painted on for decoration and small emeralds imbedded in the outside of the eye holes. Quite honestly it was beautiful and must have cost the dark lord some money.

Harry looked up and suddenly realised Lissy had disappeared. He was about to call out to her, confused as to how he was meant to put the mask on, when the elf reappeared with an outfit picked out for him floating behind her. She didn't waste any time dressing him in a pair of black pants, an emerald green shirt that matched the mask and a fitted outer robe with long sleeves that hugged his arms and buttoned up at the front down to his waist. It was the same green as the shirt with black accents along the sleeves, down the breast and along the collar and bottom seam, which started at the end of the buttons and sloped down, covering part of his thigh and flowing out and around to the back of his body, ending at the knees. All in all he looked rather dashing and when Lissy placed the mask on his face all he could think was that he looked like a great hero out of a muggle film.

Well, he may have to be in the service of the dark lord, but at least he'd look cool while he was doing it. He moved and turned a couple of times to see how the fabric gave and how well the mask would stay in place. He was pleased to find that not only did the clothes move perfectly with him, but the mask was perfectly fitted to his face and didn't move an inch. His wand holster was still on his wrist, under the robe, which thankfully didn't impede the action of it at all. Lastly he shrunk and pocketed the wooden box of personal items he'd brought with him.

Happy with the end result and reassured that he'd be able to protect himself if necessary, Harry thanked Lissy and asked her to show him the way to breakfast.

Lissy showed him the way downstairs and through the manor to the dining room. When they arrived it was to find Voldemort seated at the head of the table, holding a paper in one hand and a cup of tea in another. A number of death eaters sat in other seats around the table, chatting quietly amongst themselves, Bellatrix and Rodolphus among them. They all looked up as Harry entered the room and he made sure not to show just how very nervous he was right at that moment.

"Ah, there you are, my dear," Voldemort greeted, motioning to the only empty chair at the table, which also happened to be beside him on the right. "Do come and join us," he directed and Harry moved swiftly to the chair, allowing Lissy to pull it out for him before sitting down. The table was full of food and it all looked really good.

As soon as Harry was settled Voldemort vanished his paper and reached out for some food. Once he was done and had sat back to eat, the other death eaters reached out for their own food and began eating.

Harry took a few pieces of toast and some eggs and was sitting back to eat when Lissy appeared beside him with a fresh pot of tea. She placed it on the table in front of him and figuring that, like the food, the dark lord would want first dibs on the tea, Harry picked up the pot intending to offer him some.

As soon as the pot moved Voldemort looked up from his meal and Harry suddenly realised the whole table had fallen silent and all eyes were on him. Okay, what had he done wrong? He looked up at the dark lord's unreadable gaze and hoping he wasn't about to get himself in trouble he quietly asked.

"Would you like some more tea, My Lord?"

Voldemort watched him for another few moments before a small smile appeared on the man's face. "Why yes, thank you, pet," he replied pleasantly and returned to his meal. The rest of the death eaters did the same and Harry sighed internally, thankful he'd done the right thing. He asked the man how he liked it as he filled up the cup and when Voldemort replied with straight black Harry filled it to the top before turning to fill his own cup.

He ate his breakfast quickly, keenly aware of the many sets of eyes currently watching his every move. He found it quite ironic that Voldemort, the only person actually aware of who he was, was the only person not watching him. Then again Voldemort also knew Harry had to serve him for the rest of his life so what did he have to be worried about? Harry studiously avoided eye contact with everyone but the dark lord himself and focused instead on the conversations going on around him, in case anyone was talking about anything important.

Voldemort finished his breakfast and turned to Harry with questioning eyes. "Oh, dearest, Bellatrix was wondering if you'd be so kind as to allow her and Rodolphus to play with your toy this morning?" he asked.

"My toy, My Lord?" Harry asked, confused about what the man meant.

"Umbridge," Voldemort clarified. "She was your gift last night and I know you wanted her dead. Do you mind how that comes about? Do you wish to kill her yourself or may Bellatrix and Rodolphus do it for you?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Oh …" Harry thought about it. He didn't mind who actually killed the old bag, he did however have a little revenge he wished to partake in before the woman expired. "There is something I'd like to do to the soon to be departed Umbridge first," Harry explained. "If she survives it however I have no problem with Bellatrix and Rodolphus using her for their pleasure. As long as you have no objections, My Lord?" Harry finished, wanting to make sure Voldemort hadn't wanted Harry to kill her himself.

"Not at all. What exactly did you have in mind for our dear Umbridge? Voldemort asked curiously.

Harry smiled at the Dark Lord. "I could explain it to you if you like, My Lord, however if you wished to wait and see for yourself if may be more fun," he offered.

Voldemort studied him for a moment before a wide grin broke out on his inhumanly beautiful face. "Very well, pet, I will wait and be surprised," he replied, a hint of dark delight in his tone.

Harry nodded. "As you wish, My Lord," he replied and turned back to finish what was left of his tea. "May I begin now, or do you require my presence, My Lord?" he asked politely, more keen than he probably should be to pay the old bitch back.

"You may begin, my dear, when shall I come down to observe your masterpiece?" the Dark Lord asked.

Harry thought about it. "Maybe give me a couple of hours," he replied.

"Very well, I shall see you in two hours," The Dark Lord agreed and Harry stood from his chair, bowed to the Dark Lord and asked Lissy to show him the way to the dungeons.

They were dark, cold, damp and desolate; exactly the way a dungeon should be. As Lissy guided Harry to Umbridge's cell they passed Mad Eye, strung up on the wall of his own cell and looking considerably worse for wear. Harry shouldn't have found the sight as enjoyable as he did, but what did it matter? If he was going to be spending the rest of his life in the company of the dark lord he may as well enjoy these things; he'd be seeing plenty of them and the man had betrayed him. Grinning widely Harry continued on down to the hated witch's cell, wondering if the dark lord might allow him to suggest possible punishments for the auror.

Umbridge was huddled in the corner of her cell when Harry arrived and Lissy opened the door for him. She looked up at the noise and immediately climbed to her feet, moving to meet him at the door.

"At last someone has come to let me out," the woman exclaimed, as if her imprisonment had put her out greatly. She stopped in front of him and glared at him sternly. "You were very rude to me at the ball when all I was trying to do was welcome you to our ranks. Since you obviously didn't have the good grace to explain that to our Lord I am going to use whatever magic and contacts are necessary to ensure you end up in here and never leave!" she screeched and moved to walk past him, demanding to know where her wand was.

Harry stopped her with a body-bind spell, cast a gaging spell on the woman so she couldn't speak and levitated her back into her cell while asking Lissy to procure a desk and a chair from somewhere. He strung her up to the wall while he was waiting for the elf to return and made sure her indignant eyes were looking straight into his angry green ones when he said. "You are not going anywhere, bitch. Your imprisonment wasn't just not prevented by me, it was in fact a gift from the Dark Lord which I requested … well not exactly, I asked for your death and he decided to imprison you and allow me to do it myself," Harry informed her with a sharp smile. "Lovely of him wasn't it?" He asked, enjoying the way the woman's eyes now looked at him in fear.

"Now I'm not going to kill you." Umbridge looked relieved but Harry wasn't finished. "Not right away." The fear was back with force. "You have a bit of a debt to repay to myself and some friends of mine after that lovely year you spent at my school." Her eyes widened in surprise. "And I intend to make sure you pay for every tear, sob, scar and moment of pain you inflicted on those that matter to me." He pulled his little wooden box of personal items from his pocket, returned it to its original size and withdrew a long feathered quill and a long roll of white parchment from within it before shrinking it and returning it to his pocket.

He held the quill in front of her. "You made us all use blood quills as a punishment, today you are going to use one. Only you're not going to write until you get the point, you're going to write until I'm satisfied you've gotten the point and when I'm done with you and you've lived to regret what you did, Bellatrix and Rodolphus are going to come in here and see if there's anything left of you to play with," Harry explained with a smile and Umbridge's frightened eyes began to fill with tears.

"Oh I wouldn't bother crying yet," Harry told her. "We haven't even started and you wouldn't want to waste your tears before you actually need them would you?" he asked, mimicking the fake, sweet, condescending tone she'd spoken to him with when she'd made him use the quill.

Umbridge started to sob as Lissy returned to the dungeon with a desk and chair and Harry levitated the woman over to the chair before unbinding one of her hands and handing her the quill. The fear in her eyes increased as the compulsion spell Harry had woven into the quill wrapped around her hand, forcing it to start moving of its own accord. Harry placed the roll of parchment down on the desk in front of her and the quill began to scratch out the words Harry had woven into the compulsion spell. Umbridge whimpered as the first letter formed on the page as well as the back of her hand.

Harry would admit, if only to himself, that he felt slightly sick at the thought of what he was forcing another human being to do. It wasn't enough to stop him though. She'd done this to his friends, mere children and she deserved to know how it felt.

When the dark lord arrived down in the dungeons a little under two hours later, Umbridge's whimpering form was once more hanging from the wall of the dungeon, stripped down to her disgusting pink underwear so Harry could study his handy work. The full parchment had been magically stuck to the opposite wall so she could see the words, written in her blood, shining back at her as they dried and every inch of her skin, from her head to her toes, had the same sentence carved into it over and over again.

Harry wanted to vomit knowing he'd cause this, but at the same time he felt a strong sense of pride at his accomplishment. Every inch of suffering she'd inflicted on his friends had been repaid and she'd never be able to hurt another child like she had them.

He turned as he heard Voldemort open the door to the cell and waited to see what the Dark Lord thought of his handiwork. Voldemort moved over to where Umbridge was hanging and poked her with a finger, bringing an answering whimper from the still gagged woman. The assessing eyes were alight with enjoyment until they moved to Umbridge's stomach where the full sentence could be read without moving her body. His eyes narrowed then and he looked over to the desk that Harry hadn't removed from the room and the quill still sitting on it. "Show me your hands," he ordered angrily.

Harry did as he was told and held out his hands, his eyes never leaving Umbridge's body. Voldemort's hands were surprisingly gentle as he turned Harry's over, seemingly studying them intently. When he looked up again his attention turned back to Umbridge and with a wave of his hand an eerie green cloud appeared in the cell above her.

Harry watched in curiosity as the cloud began dropping what appeared to be green raindrops and when they touched the woman she whimpered around her gag. As more fell they slid down the woman's skin and Harry noticed they imbedded themselves in the words carved from the quill. She'd whimpered through the process, when the cloud was empty and the words were all full the liquid began to glow and Umbridge screamed as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Her eyes flew open and Voldemort moved forward until he was mere inches from her face.

"I ordered you to get rid of the headmaster and take over the curriculum, not to damage the children!" he snarled. "What would be the point of ridding the magical world of muggles and their influence if all the magical children are too damaged to use their magic properly? You moronic fool, have you no brain at all!" he snapped and she screamed louder around her gag, the words carved into her skin glowing brighter.

He moved away from her then and turned back to where Harry was standing, watching him cautiously.

"Come, Bellatrix and Rodolphus can finish this off," he ordered, moving toward the door. Harry followed him out of the cell and as he closed the door and secured it behind them Harry took one last look at the woman writhing against the bonds holding her to the wall and the words on her stomach that were now glowing an even brighter green.

"I MUST NOT TORTURE CHILDREN!"

XX

Voldemort called a Medi-wizard to look at Harry and explained the reason before disappearing from the throne room with a growled warning to the man of what would happen to him if he did not do his job properly. The Medi-wizard looked over Harry and cast several diagnostic spells before ordering immediate bed rest and prescribing a very powerful healing spell that would leave Harry asleep for several days. Voldemort returned to the room moments later and upon explanation by the Medi-wizard, commanded the man to perform the spell immediately.

It all happened so fast and before Harry could protest, the spell had been cast and he felt the drowsiness setting in and dragging him under. The Dark Lord immediately took hold of his arm and began leading him through the manor to his room. Harry started to panic. What if Severus turned up before he awoke? He hadn't yet had a chance to explain to Voldemort what happened the night Dumbledore was supposed to die. If Severus turned up now he'd be killed.

"My Lord, wait, there's something I have to tell you," he said, knowing his voice was going to start slurring soon.

"You will tell me when you awaken," Voldemort ordered as they arrived at his room and passed through it to Harry's.

"No, I … have to tell you now, it's about … about Snape … the night Dumbledore was supposed to die," his words were getting more and more slurred as the moments passed and he knew he had to speak quickly.

"What about him?" Voldemort demanded, stopping them just beside Harry's bed.

Harry's vision blurred. "Not … traitor," he managed before darkness overtook him and his body shut down completely.

XX

Voldemort stood at the door to Umbridge's cell watching the woman flail about and shriek as Bellatrix and Rodolphus played their twisted games with her. Stupid woman, did she have no idea what those quills could do to people?

 _"Tom?"_ He looked over as Nagini approached him. _"The boy is in his room sleeping and will not wake, what has happened?"_ she asked concerned.

Voldemort motioned inside the cell and explained. _"It has been revealed to me this morning that when I sent Umbridge to take over Dumbledore's position within Hogwarts she had the children using blood quills as a punishment."_

Nagini hissed angrily and turned glaring eyes toward the thrashing woman. _"Was she not aware of the damage they cause hatchlings?"_ she asked incredulously.

 _"I do not know and nor do I care, she is being dealt with and will not be a bother any longer. Mr Potter had suffered some ill effects from her stupidity, that now thankfully has been healed, but he will be out for several days,"_ Voldemort explained. _"I have sent word to my death eaters working in the ministry and a letter will be sent out to all the Hogwarts parents informing them of the quill's use, its possible side effects and a suggestion that they take the children to a healer for evaluation. A letter will also be going to the school itself informing them so they can give each child a medical examination when they return at the start of the new year, in case some of the parents did not heed the letter's warning. Of course the school should have done so already, but it is obvious by Mr Potter's condition that they have not. Most likely they were also ignorant of the damage the quill could inflict._

The Dark Lord sighed. _"It seems I have not been keeping my followers in line quite well enough, my love,"_ he said, with a sad shake of his head. _"We will have to remedy that. Perhaps I should leave Miss Umbridge, or what's left of her, in the foyer as an example."_ He thought about that for a moment, it might just be the perfect deterrent.

He turn _ed and began making his way back up to the main house, deciding to think it over for a while. "On a more positive note it seems Mr Potter will have some very interesting things to tell me when he awakens; even more so than I had originally thought,"_ he told Nagini as she slithered along beside him.

 _"Oh?"_ she asked curiously.

 _"Yes, it seems Harry was there the night Dumbledore was supposed to be killed and he knows something about why this did not take place. He mentioned something before he fell asleep, but it was too slurred for me to make out. I imagine we will find out when he awakens,"_ Voldemort finished with a small smile.

 _"Perhaps it will be good news,"_ Nagini suggested hopefully.

 _"One can hope,"_ Voldemort agreed.

XX

End of chapter.

So what did we think? What did we think of Harry's revenge on Umbridge? I've read far too many stories where Harry joins Voldemort and completely changes from a nice guy to a murderous killer and I'm really not a fan of that. I don't plan to change Harry at his core, he's still going to be a sweet, caring guy who doesn't like to hurt others in general, but the people who betrayed him he's going to hate and Umbridge … well who doesn't hate her? I think his hatred for her is justified and while I do think torture would make him feel retched and sick I think he would enjoy seeing her pay for what she did to them that year as well. I also like the idea of the blood quill being something damaging to people is used over long periods, whether it is mean tot be or not. I don't think a dark item like that could be used over and over without damaging the user somewhat hence the healing sleep Harry will have to be in for a few days. I also think I kept Voldemort in character with him having Harry healed and being upset about the children being damaged in any way. After all he does offer for them to give up during the battle of Hogwarts because he doesn't want to waste the magical blood. Anyway I'd like to know what you think.

As always reviews make me very happy and I need some happy after the rubbish of the last week so if you want to take pity on me and leave a review I really would love you very much :)

See you soon

Kayla xxoo


	5. Chapter 5

Hello, another update :) I've tried to make the most of the small amount of free time I've had today. Anyway I won't go on too long, enjoy.

To Hurt But Not to Harm

Harry awoke from the healing sleep groggy and disorientated. He tried to push himself up onto his arms only to fall back down as sharp pain shot through them. Biting back a groan Harry waited for the pain to fade before moving his arms out in front of him and studying them closely. The scars left on his hand from the repetitive use of the quill were gone, but there were dark red lines running up his arms as if poison was moving through his blood stream. He had only moments to ponder what this could mean before sleep dragged him under once more.

When Harry awoke the second time he was pleased to note that he was nowhere near as tired and the red lines had faded from his arms, as had the pain. He immediately headed for the bathroom, his bladder protesting the length of time it had been since he'd last emptied it. Once that was taken care of he headed to the shower, knowing he mustn't smell very good by now. It was only when he started undoing the buttons of his shirt that he noticed he wasn't wearing the clothes he'd fallen asleep in, but rather a pair of soft, black, silk pyjamas. Who'd changed him? Was it Voldemort? And had he actually changed him or just transfigured his clothing into the pyjamas? Harry felt himself blush at the idea of the other man seeing him naked and hoped it was the latter of the two, if it had been Voldemort who'd changed him at all.

He showered quickly, dried himself off and moved to the walk in robe, hoping his outfit from the other day was in there as he doubted the Dark Lord would be happy with him walking around the manor in Dudley's old clothes. He stopped short as he reached the doorway to the cupboard and his eyes fell on the shelves and racks that had been bare just days ago and were now full of robes, shoes, underclothes, pyjamas and masks in every kind of colour Harry could imagine. He couldn't find any of the clothes he'd brought in there anywhere, but he wasn't too concerned about that. It wasn't like he wanted them anyway.

Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of clothing he suddenly had to choose from, Harry called for Lissy who immediately popped into the room. "How may Lissy help Mr Potter?" the elf asked politely.

"I have no idea what to wear," Harry told the elf honestly. "What time is it? Should I even bother getting dressed? Better yet what day is it?" he asked, wondering how long he'd been out.

"It is 3:00 on Thursday afternoon, Mr Potter, and Lissy will find you something to wear as Master will be wishing to see you and you will need to be dressed for dinner," the elf replied, moving toward the cupboard.

Thursday; that meant Harry had been out for three days. Dread suddenly struck him, what if Severus had shown up while he was out? He hadn't gotten the chance to explain anything to the Dark Lord, what if he'd killed Severus while Harry was sleeping?

"Lissy, do you know if Severus Snape has been here to see the Dark Lord yet?" Harry asked, as the elf returned from the cupboard with an outfit in hand. Black, grey and red today.

"Lissy does not know, Mr Potter," the elf replied as she began dressing him in his robes. She made quick work of it as well as fixing his mask in place, but when she was done her eyes moved up to his hair and her expression became one of exasperation.

"Does Mr Potter really need his hair like that?" the elf asked annoyed.

"Um … I don't really have a choice in that, Lissy, it just grows that way," Harry explained to the annoyed elf.

"Yes but do you need it that length?" she asked.

"Uh, no, I guess not," Harry replied.

"Good," the elf responded and began flicking her fingers at Harry's hair. Harry waited impatiently, hoping the elf wasn't making him look completely ridiculous even if nobody but the Dark lord knew who he was. "There, done," the Elf said after a few minutes, a pleased smile on her face. She clicked her fingers and suddenly a mirror appeared in front of Harry, allowing him to see what she'd done. It looked great. She'd cut it really short, slightly longer at the top but still short enough that it spiked up rather than curling or falling flat like it usually did. He liked it, it would be a lot easier to deal with now and he told her so before thanking her.

She seemed pleased by the praise and disappeared the mirror before flicking a spell at him, which Harry assumed was supposed to clean off any rough bits of hair. She then smoothed out his robe and informed him that Voldemort was in the throne room before disappearing with a pop.

Harry headed quickly to the throne room, eager to find the Dark Lord and find out if Severus had presented himself yet. As he neared the throne room the sound of someone screaming touched his ears and a horrible feeling of dread filled him. What if that was Severus? What if he got there too late? He picked up his pace and turned the corner so fast he nearly ran into Nagini.

"You are awake!" she stated, and if Harry weren't in such a hurry he would have noticed the happiness in her tone.

"Nagini, who does the Dark Lord have in there with him?" Harry asked.

"He has Severus and several death eaters, why?" the snake asked.

"Damn!" Harry cursed and ran to the door, throwing it open to see Severus writhing on the floor while the Dark Lord stood over him, torturing him with the cruciatus.

Voldemort looked up in annoyance as Harry burst into the room. Severus stopped writhing and collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath. The rest of the rooms occupants, five in total, stared at Harry in horror. Harry looked at the fallen man for several moments before turning his attention to Voldemort who was glaring daggers at him.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" The Dark Lord hissed, descending on Harry; his wand raised in anger.

"Forgive me, My Lord," Harry said humbly, dropping to the floor on his knees to show submission. "I was on my way down here to report that I was awake when Nagini told me you were in here with Professor Snape. There is information I must give you about the night Dumbledore was supposed to die and due to the healing sleep I was unable to before now. I was concerned that you may be preparing to kill the professor when he was not to blame for the failure of the mission that night and I needed to make sure you were given all the information before that happened. I apologise for my entrance and the interruption, I would not have done so had I not felt the situation warranted it. I humbly apologise and will accept any punishment you deem acceptable for my behaviour," Harry explained as quickly as he could, knowing how short the Dark Lord's temper was and hoping he listened and allowed Harry to explain.

The room was silent for several moments but Harry didn't dare move or speak again before Voldemort said something. After what felt like hours Voldemort knelt down in front of Harry and seized his chin, bringing his face up to meet the Dark lord's. The command didn't need to be spoken, Harry already knew what the man wanted. He met the dark Lord's crimson eyes, allowing Voldemort to enter his mind. It hurt, a lot more than it had the previous time and Harry clenched his fists to keep from crying out as he directed Voldemort to the memory the man sought.

 _Harry and Dumbledore appeared back in the astronomy tower, having returned from their visit to the fountain, and began to descend the stairs, the old coot blathering on about something Harry wasn't paying attention to. As they neared the bottom Harry looked from one side of the room, where Draco waited in a hidden nook preparing to strike, to the other, where Severus waited. The plan was for the three of them to ambush the aggravating old wizard as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs and Harry nodded to them both, beginning to gently ease his wand out of its holster in preparation._

 _What happened next occurred so quickly Harry barely had time to process it._

 _A spell hit Snape from behind and he fell to the floor, alerting Dumbledore to the fact that there was something wrong. Moments later someone grabbed Draco and pulled him back into the alcove, just before spells began flying around the room from every direction. The last thing Harry saw, before Dumbledore grabbed him and apparated them away, was Bellatrix stepping over Snape and firing a spell at them, her cackle echoing through the astronomy tower._

Anger ripped through the Dark Lord and he pulled back from Harry's mind with an enraged scream. He paced the room for several minutes and Harry used the moments he was distracted to look over at Severus, who was still lying prone on the floor.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed and Severus gave him the barest of nods, not wanting to draw the anyone's's attention to their conversation. Eventually Voldemort stopped pacing and ripped up his sleeve to expose the dark mark. He pressed his wand to it for several seconds then stalked angrily from the room.

"You are not to move!" he screamed over his shoulder, snarling at the rest of the death eaters in the room to wait out in the corridor and slamming the door shut behind him. Harry waited until he felt the man's energy head downstairs before crawling slowly over to the potions master, his head pounding with every move he made. He pulled Severus into his arms and ran a soothing hand through his inky, black hair.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "They've had me in a healing sleep for the last three days. I tried to tell him before I passed out but he mustn't have understood, I'm sorry," Harry repeated, pushing Severus' hair back from his face as the pale, and still shaking, wizard's hand came up to touch Harry's arm reassuringly.

"Not your fault," Severus gasped and allowed Harry to hold him for a few moments longer before moving shakily to his knees with Harry's help. "He will punish you now, severely, you should have left me to him," Severus ground out through clenched teeth.

"No," Harry replied vehemently. "I won't let him kill you. If I could have put you on that contract I would have, but I couldn't, so I'll do what I have to to ensure you are protected as much as possible." He reached out and grabbed Severus' shoulders tightly. "You have saved me so many times, it's my turn now. When he comes back in here to punish me you have to let him. Don't argue or try to defend me, he'll only hurt you more and you don't deserve it."

"And you do?" Severus demanded angrily.

"It doesn't matter if I do or not, you know it's coming and if you argue with him it'll only end up with both of us getting hurt, and probably a lot worse," Harry replied.

"I promised to protect you," Severus argued.

"But that's not your job. For once in your life think about yourself and not what somebody else wants or needs you to do," Harry argued back.

"Your mother -"

"Is dead," Harry cut him off, drawing an angry glare from the potions master. "It's not nice to think about, or say, but it's reality and she'd want you to be safe too. Please let me take this one, I don't want to see you dead and I know for a fact there are other people out there that don't either, one who cares about you a lot more than you realise."

Severus opened his mouth to argue, but Harry felt Voldemort approaching the room once more and moved quickly back to where he'd been kneeling previously. "Don't argue," was the last thing he said before bowing his head in preparation for the Dark Lord's return.

Voldemort glided back into the room moments later and passed between the pair before settling on his throne, Nagini slithering quickly up into his lap. He was calmer than he had been, but Harry could still sense anger bubbling beneath the surface of the man's cool façade.

"Severus," The Dark Lord called the Potions master softly.

"Yes, My Lord," Severus replied humbly.

"Wait outside until I summon you back," Voldemort ordered.

Severus paused only a moment before replying, "Yes, My Lord," and climbing slowly to his feet.

"Pet, come here," Voldemort ordered as Severus limped from the room and knowing his punishment was forthcoming Harry didn't see the point of delaying it, it would only make the other wizard angrier.

He moved to stand in front of the dark lord's throne and knelt down, his head bowed in humility and acceptance of whatever the other man deemed an acceptable punishment. Nothing was said for what felt like hours, but Harry could feel the man's angry gaze on him and could only guess he was struggling to think of a way to hurt Harry without actually harming him. Harry waited patiently, knowing speaking was only going to anger the man further. Finally he heard Voldemort sigh and the man stood from his throne and approached him. He knelt down beside Harry and ran a hand gently through Harry's hair.

"Do you know what you did, Harry?" he asked, his voice angry but soft at the same time.

"Yes, My Lord," Harry replied. He didn't bother reminding the man that he'd done it to avoid Voldemort killing an innocent man and an invaluable resource in his fight against Dumbledore. Voldemort already knew that and Harry doubted reminding him would do anything but anger him further.

"Do you understand what must happen now?" The Dark Lord asked.

"Yes, My Lord," Harry replied.

Voldemort didn't say anything, but Harry felt him nod. With gentle hands Voldemort reached out and pulled Harry's face to lean against his chest. The Dark Lord's heart beat echoed in his ear the volume increasing as the hand holding Harry's head tightened its grip, effectively clamping Harry's head in place. Harry immediately knew what the Dark Lord was going to do as a punishment. It wasn't the cruciatus curse, but for Harry it may as well be.

"I'm sorry, My Lord," he offered softly, as Voldemort's other hand approached his forehead and pulled the mask away. The open palm then came to rest on his face and Harry felt himself begin to tremble as the thumb reached out to touch his scar.

Harry wasn't sure just how long the pain lasted, but he heard his screams echo back to him from the walls of the throne room, and he was positive the entire manor heard it, for what felt like forever before his vision darkened and he passed out. He just hoped it didn't make Severus feel too guilty.

XX

Harry groaned as consciousness returned to him once more. His head felt like someone was pounding it with a mallet and his scar burned like it was on fire. He cracked an eye open, only to close it again when he realised the light made his head hurt more.

A soft hand on his shoulder was the first warning he had that he wasn't alone, it was soon followed by the feeling of a cool, wet cloth being applied to his forehead. Harry gave a quiet groan of gratitude as the pain in his head eased a little.

"Thank you," he said softly

"Is it helping?" Severus' voice asked him and Harry allowed himself a small smile at learning the other man was all right.

"It is, yes, thank you," Harry replied before asking, "Are you okay?"

"I am fine," Severus replied. "The Dark Lord called me in after he was done with you and had Lissy bring us both here. I am under orders to remain with you until he comes to see you," he explained.

Harry nodded. "Well thanks, I appreciate it," he replied. He tried to open his eyes again, only to snap them shut as once more the light proved too much for his head to handle. "Is that light from the window or a candle?" Harry asked, not sure how long he'd been out.

It dimmed and Severus replied, "Candles."

"So I've been out for a while?" Harry asked.

"Several hours," Severus replied.

Harry groaned. Another day wasted. "Sorry, this must have been terribly boring and inconvenient for you," he said, finally managing to open his eyes and look up at the other man.

"It was fine. I am still not feeling the best myself so I didn't have all that much planned for today," Severus replied and Harry was thankful that the other man hadn't mentioned the fact that he might not have lived through the meeting to bother planning anything after it.

They were quiet for some time, Harry pondering a question he'd been meaning to ask the professor for a while. May as well ask it now, looks like they weren't going anywhere for a while. "Professor."

"Mr Potter."

"If Dumbledore had bothered to open my mother's will after she died, would you have done as she'd asked?" Harry asked, studying his hands nervously.

It took Severus several moments but he finally replied, "Yes, I would have."

"Would you still have hated me?" Harry asked quietly, not sure he really wanted the answer.

"I don't hate you," Severus replied after a short pause and Harry looked up at him surprised. "You can be extremely reckless and short sighted at times and I do wish you would use your brain a lot more often than you do, but I do not hate you. If I had known of your mother's wishes upon her death I would have taken you in and raised you as my own as best I could," the man finished and Harry nodded. There was only one other question he wanted to ask.

"Do you think you could ever have loved me?" he asked, barely above a whisper.

Severus sighed quietly. "I think I would have, eventually" he replied just as softly and Harry felt tears of anger and frustration fill his eyes.

"Damn that old bastard to hell for not opening my mother's will," he hissed angrily, trying to blink back the tears.

Severus's hand came down to rest on Harry's shoulder and he squeezed it gently. "I am as angry as you are for this, but at least he will be dead soon," the potions master consoled him quietly.

"I know," Harry replied sadly. "It doesn't erase the awful childhood I had with the Dursleys or give me what should have been mine though does it? And don't say it, I know I'm acting like a child I just don't care. I didn't get to act like one when I was a child, I may as well do it every once in a while now," Harry snapped.

"Had I been the one to raise you I wouldn't have tolerated you acting under your age," Severus informed him.

"Yeah, well, you weren't were you? And there's no way I can go back and do my childhood again so it's never going to happen, and therefore it doesn't matter does it?" Harry demanded angrily. He knew he shouldn't be snapping at the professor, but thinking about what Dumbledore had done to him over the years always made him angry. He was surprised when Severus reached forward and grabbed his chin, turning him to face the potions master.

"We might not have known then but we do now and while you will never get your childhood back you're certainly not an adult yet and I will not tolerate my son acting like a child when he's almost 16," Severus snapped and Harry froze, not quite believing what he was hearing. Tears burnt his eyes once more and he reached out to touch the hand what was holding his face. Severus expression softened and he released Harry's face, closing his fingers around Harry's instead.

"I don't know how much longer I'll be around," Harry whispered, a tear slipping down his face.

Severus' expression was grave as he replied. "I know, but as long as you are I will be here."

Harry closed his eyes as another tear left them and allowed himself to be pulled into a one armed embrace, pressing his face into Severus' shoulder and slipping his free arm around the potions master. They held each other like that for a while, Severus' face pressed against Harry's hair as Harry struggled to get himself back under control.

It was only when Harry felt the Dark Lord's magic moving toward them that he pulled back and quickly composed himself, using magic to remove any trace of tears.

"Was my mask on when Lissy brought us here?" Harry asked, lying back down on the bed.

"No," Severus replied, which surprised Harry greatly.

"Did he tell you we could speak?" Harry asked.

"He instructed me to ensure you were fine, I assume that means it's all right so speak to you, why?" Severus asked with a curious expression as he placed the wet cloth back on Harry's head.

"He's made a big point of not letting anyone else know who I am, hence the mask, and not allowing me to speak to anyone without asking permission," Harry explained.

"I was to ensure you were fine, I cannot ascertain that if you cannot speak to me. If The Dark Lord is displeased with us for speaking we will use that as our reasoning. And he did hand you to me with no mask on, I already know who you are," Snape reasoned.

"Handed me to you?" Harry asked curiously.

"He was holding you in his arms when he called me back in to the room. He handed you to me before he asked Lissy to bring us here," Severus explained.

Harry was surprised; he would have expected Voldemort to just leave him on the floor when the punishment was over.

The door opening interrupted his musing and the Dark Lord glided into the room in all his inhumanly beautiful glory, Nagini close behind.

"Ah, Harry, you are awake, are you well?" the Dark Lord asked, approaching the bed.

"Just a headache, My Lord," Harry replied and Voldemort sat on the edge of Harry's bed, reaching out to gently touch Harry's forehead. Harry felt a tingle pass through him and when it was gone the pain had disappeared with it. Harry looked up at him with wide eyes. "Thank you, My Lord," he said quietly.

Voldemort nodded before turning his attention to Severus and reaching out to touch the Potions master's shoulder in much the same way. He pulled back a few moments later and Severus' expression would no doubt have looked much like Harry's had the man not been so good at disguising his emotions.

"Thank you, My Lord," the professor echoed Harry's words. The Dark Lord nodded to Severus and sat back with a sigh.

"Well, the two of you have placed me in quite a difficult position. One one hand I now know for a fact that you were working together to kill Dumbledore last year. This gives me pause to question your loyalty, Severus. At the same time however, it also means I know for a fact that you are indeed against Dumbledore, Harry, and your arrival here wishing to aid me in my war was not a lie, which pleases me greatly. So what to do with you both?" he studied them intently for a moment and neither of them spoke, waiting to see what he was going to say next. "All right, I want to know exactly what's going on, how it started and what the ultimate goal is. I want the entire story from start to finish and I want it now, from both of you. Severus let's start with you," Voldemort ordered.

"Are you sure you wish to hear it all now, My Lord?" Severus asked cautiously. "It is a rather long story."

"Yes, right now," Voldemort replied, making himself comfortable on Harry's bed.

"Very well."

XX

End of Chapter

So our story continues to unfold. Harry has saved Severus, suffering a rather nasty punishment in the process. I pondered the punishment Voldemort should give Harry for quite a while before deciding on this one. Hurting someone without harming them is not at all easy, but of course the Dark Lord would find a way. We now know Bellatrix interrupted Draco, Harry and Severus' plan to kill Dumbledore and we've seen a bit of why Harry is angry with the old man. Next chapter will go into this a bit more. I hope you enjoyed it and as always please let me know what you think.

See you soon

Kayla


	6. Chapter 6

Hello, hello, how are we all doing? Here's the newest chapter and the long awaited back story, I hope you enjoy it. I haven't done Nagini and Tom's conversation in italics because they're the only ones talking and there's no one else around so no room for confusion. Enjoy. The back story is all in italics except the letter.

Back Story

 _It hadn't been an easy year for Harry. Umbridge was constantly on his back, the inquisitorial squad was stalking him, Cho was constantly wanting his attention, Dumbledore was hiding in his office and never coming out, not even to stop Umbridge from torturing the students, Snape constantly had him after hours for lessons which were exhausting and Harry was trying to get the students trained up in defence while at the same time trying to work out what Draco and Snape were up to. There was too much happening at once and Harry had barely had a second to himself. He'd gone to Diagon Alley in the hopes of getting some Christmas presents and heading home, but a surprise had been waiting for him when he arrived at Gringotts. Now he was standing in front of Severus' house at Spinner's End, not sure whether to be angry or upset, but resolved not to leave until he had his answers._

 _He pounded on the door and when it was answered by a rather cranky potions master Harry didn't allow the man to say anything before he stalked into the house and threw one of the documents he'd been given that day by a Gringotts goblin at the startled man._

 _"What is the meaning of this, Potter? Get out of my house!" Severus snapped angrily, but Harry refused to be deterred by the man's temper._

 _"Read it!" he demanded._

 _"Potter-"_

 _"It is from my mother, READ IT!" Harry all but screamed at the man, closer to hysterical than he would have liked after what he'd just found out._

 _Severus looked legitimately shocked for a moment, whether by Harry's outburst or what he'd said Harry didn't know, but he recovered quickly and pulled open the letter Harry had handed him._

 _It was rather lengthy, but basic gist of the letter had been that Lilly was sorry she and Severus had fallen out and wished she could take it back. She told him she loved him dearly and he was still her very best friend, no matter how much time had passed. She then went on to explain that she and James had been sent into hiding because of the prophecy and she didn't know who she could trust anymore. She told Severus she did trust him and that was why she was writing this letter now; there was something she needed him to do._

"Severus, I need you to come and get Harry from us at Godrick's Hollow and take him away. Voldemort is coming for us and I have no doubt he will arrive soon, regardless of the measures Dumbledore has taken to ensure our safety. I know you, Severus; I know you are a good person and more than anything you are a clever and resourceful man. I know you alone have the ability to find somewhere safe for Harry to live and keep him out of danger. I beg you to do this for me, Severus, please. James and I have no hope of surviving this but Harry can and I know you will be a good father to him, better than Sirius who James wishes to be Harry's god father. I have entrusted the original of this letter to Dumbledore and I hope it reaches you. I have also sent this copy to Gringotts to keep in my personal vault, along with my Will in case the original is lost or destroyed. The Will grants custody of Harry to you, or in the case of your unfortunate parting, to Remus. I know after all of this he probably feels that we don't trust him anymore but I do. I trust you both more than anyone else, regardless of what James thinks. And as I am Harry's mother my will supersedes his.

I understand you and I have had a horrible falling out and I know perfectly the animosity you hold toward James, so if you find you cannot care for Harry please pass his care along to Remus. My only living relative is my sister and I do not, under any circumstances, wish her to raise Harry. You know what she's like and she'll only beat him down until he feels like a worthless freak, the same thing she tried to do to me and you saved me from. I want Harry to grow up strong and confident and I know you can do that, Severus, I know you will raise my son well.

If this letter does not reach you in time and I am no longer among the living by the time you read this, know that I love you very much and I am so sorry for what happened between us. You have no idea how badly I wish I could take it back and make things right. Thank you for all your friendship and caring over the years, I hope I see you again just once before the end.

Sincerely

Your friend, Lilly"

 _By the time Severus was finished with the letter and had dropped onto the couch, looking for all the world like someone had stabbed him in the heart and he was slowly bleeding to death, the pain had won over the anger for Harry and he slipped down onto the floor, tears streaming from his eyes as sobs racked his body. They didn't speak for what felt like hours and when at last the silence was broken it was by Severus' voice._

 _"I never received this letter," he said softly._

 _Harry looked up at the potions master with tear-filled eyes. "Why?" he asked brokenly. "She gave it to Dumbledore, why wouldn't he have given it to you?"_

 _Severus studied him for several moments before he said, "There are things about Dumbledore you don't know, Potter."_

 _"What?" Harry asked, certain he didn't want to know the answer but knowing he needed to._

 _Severus sighed and told Harry to take a moment to calm himself while Severus made tea. Harry did as he was told as best he could and when Severus returned he handed Harry a cup of tea and invited him to take a seat on the couch before settling himself on the one opposite. The pair sipped their tea in silence for a long time and when at last they'd drained their cups Severus spoke._

 _He told Harry about being friends with his mother as children and how difficult it was when they went to Hogwarts and were sorted into different houses. He told him about his father and how awfully James and his friends, aside from Remus, treated Severus, although Harry already knew some of that from an occlumency lesson earlier in the year, and how Harry's mother used to defend Severus. He went on to explain the fight, how they'd fallen out as friends and how Severus consequently became friends with Lucius and joined the ranks of the death eaters._

 _He explained the prophecy next. How Dumbledore had heard it from Sybil and taking it as Gospel, had seen fit to inform the rest of the order, which was how Severus had overheard it and passed it along to the dark Lord, unaware that it was about Harry. He explained how he then went to Dumbledore when he learnt the truth and begged the man to protect Harry and his family. He explained Dumbledore's agreement, on the proviso that Severus agreed to do whatever Dumbledore asked of him._

 _He explained how he'd found Lilly and James dead and Harry crying in his cot that night after the Dark Lord had died. He told Harry how he took him from his cot to Dumbledore, who promised to take care of Harry, and headed out to find Sirius who everyone thought was responsible for Voldemort finding them. Unfortunately he'd been beaten to the man by aurors. He then explained his fight with Dumbledore over the man's inability to keep Harry's family safe and the way Dumbledore then asked him to protect Harry when he came to Hogwarts._

 _Finally he told Harry of Dumbledore's theory that he was a Horcrux and had to die at the hands of the Dark Lord in order Voldemort to be killed._

 _Harry had been hurt and furious. The man who he thought was trying to help him and look out for him had not only been lying to him for all this time and raising him to be a pig for slaughter, he'd also blatantly ignored Lilly's wishes and hadn't passed on her letter to Severus that would have kept Harry from having to live with the Dursleys, as well as given him other guardians to raise him. For the longest time he paced and swore and cursed the man for breathing, and surprisingly, Severus didn't stop him. When at last he'd calmed down Harry was adamant that Dumbledore would pay. That was when Severus made him swear a magical oath before sitting him down and explaining the Dark Lord's plan for Draco to kill the old wizard and how the man was already facing death due to a curse._

 _Harry had agreed to help and after doing his best to enjoy Christmas with his friends had returned to Hogwarts and began meeting with Severus and Draco in secret, once a week, when Severus was supposed to be giving Harry lessons, to plan the old bastard's downfall. It had been a difficult transition for Draco and Harry to say the least, but they'd eventually learnt to get along and even started to form a tentative friendship. That friendship had strengthened during the year, especially when the blonde Slytherin had started seeing Luna behind the backs of his parents and had told only Harry and Severus about it. The blonde Ravenclaw had even joined in their scheming to kill the headmaster, wanting to help the boy she was quickly coming to care for deeply, as well as Harry who she'd grown to think of as a brother._

 _As the year progressed the plot had thickened and Harry had, thanks to Severus' spying, found out who else was involved with Dumbledore's plan for Harry. It had hurt more than Harry would ever admit when he found out Ron and Arthur were involved, but he was very pleased to learn that Molly, Ginny and the twins weren't and neither was Hermione. His relationship with Draco and Luna had only strengthened as the year had gone on and he'd slowly begun to form a close bond with Severus, which pleased him greatly._

 _Dumbledore's death had been all planed out and hole proof and it had been Harry's wish to take his friends and loved ones and go far away where the war wouldn't bother them once it was done._

 _Of course the universe had other plans and it couldn't happen that way._

 _In the end it had been the four of them who'd cooked up the plan for Harry to join the Dark Lord, and as much as the others didn't like it, they knew it was the best way to ensure any sort of good outcome from the war. Harry refused to fight for the light anymore, knowing how many of them had used and lied to him. But he wanted his loved ones safe and this was the only option that would give him that and keep him out of Dumbledore's clutches._

 _They had hoped that with Dumbledore's curse, even if they hadn't managed to kill him, he'd be dead by the end of the year. Unfortunately he'd found that fountain and rejuvenated himself, the smarmy bastard. Plan A had then been ruined thanks to Bellatrix's interruption and so it had all failed, leaving the only option for them to be rid of Dumbledore to join up with the Dark Lord; which most of them already had or were planning to do._

 _Severus had been badly hurt during the attack by Bellatrix and it had taken more healing than Harry liked to think about for the man to recover. Draco had disappeared and none of them had seen or heard from him since. It had them all worried but they didn't dare try and contact him in case his batshit crazy aunt was keeping an eye on his correspondence. She obviously had some issue with Severus, seeing as she attacked him, and if she knew he was sending letters to the young Malfoy it could mean danger for Draco._

 _Harry had gone to the Dark Lord almost as soon as he'd gotten off the train and had a spare moment, wanting to get on the man's good side and be able to put in a good word for Severus and Draco before either of them met up with Voldemort again._

XX

Voldemort was silent for a long time his expression one of deep contemplation after hearing Severus and Harry's stories of how they had come to join forces against Dumbledore. They'd discussed their story of course and created false memories to lead Voldemort to, that hid any indication of disloyalty on either of their parts. They had told him that Harry had found out about the headmaster's betrayal but not about Lilly's letter and they told him they'd only started working together for the common goal a couple of weeks before the end of the year, which was supposed to be Harry's preparation for joining Voldemort's ranks and a gift he could bring to the Dark Lord when he presented himself to the man.

The story was as seamless as they could make it and they watched Voldemort think it over with baited breath. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the Dark Lord sighed.

"Severus, you have been one of my closest and most trusted friends for years now. I will admit I had my doubts about you when you didn't immediately come to my side upon my return but ... I value your friendship and your talents. If you swear your loyalty to me now I will accept and we can put this whole nasty business behind us," Voldemort directed and Harry sighed internally in relief.

"Of course, My Lord, I swear my loyalty to you and you alone," Severus replied with a humble bow to the Dark Lord.

Voldemort smiled. "Good. I have missed you, Severus, we really must talk more. I have told Lissy to prepare a room for you in my wing of the manor. I wish for you to remain here, at least for the time being," the Dark Lord directed.

"Of course My Lord," Severus agreed easily.

"Wonderful," Voldemort exclaimed happily and called Lissy to come and take Severus to his room. "I will see you in the morning at breakfast, sleep well," Voldemort said with a wave and Severus and Lissy disappeared from the room with a quiet pop. When they were gone Voldemort sighed and much to Harry's surprise dropped back to lie down beside Harry on the bed. He covered his face with his hands and groaned quietly before removing them and looking up into Harry's eyes. "How is your head?" He asked.

"Much better, thank you, My Lord," Harry replied, surprised by the question.

"Good." The Dark Lord sat up again, turning around to sit on the bed facing Harry. "I didn't want to hurt you this afternoon. I wish it had not been necessary, but you do understand why it was don't you?" He asked softly.

Harry nodded, looking down at his hands so the man didn't see how much his words surprised him. A hand under his chin brought his face up to meet the Voldemort's once more. "I have made you my right hand, that is a coveted position which comes with enough danger. I cannot allow the others to see you getting away with things they would not, it would only serve to make them feel more animosity toward you. You do understand, do you not?" He asked and Harry was surprised by the hopeful and concerned tone in the man's voice. It sounded as if the answer actually mattered to him, which was even more surprising than the revelation that he had actually made Harry his right hand. Harry thought it was just an excuse to give the death eaters about why they would be together so much.

Harry nodded, "Yes, My Lord," he replied.

"Good," the Dark Lord said softly, running his thumb gently over Harry's jaw in a way that made Harry want to melt into his touch. This was bad, very bad, the man was like walking seduction and Harry found himself liking it far too much.

The Dark Lord smiled all of a sudden and Harry wondered if perhaps he hadn't shielded his thoughts quiet well enough right at that moment.

"I need to be able to trust the people around me," Voldemort continued softly. "You and I have been enemies for a long time but we are no longer and I want this little alliance we've created to be beneficial to both of us. You may serve me, but I want to ensure you are also satisfied with the outcome. Dispute our differences in the past you did come to me willingly and that is important. I want to able to trust you, Harry, can I trust you?" The Dark Lord asked softly.

"Of course you can, My Lord," Harry replied honestly, because the man was right, Harry had come of his own free will and he had no intention of betraying him.

Voldemort smiled once more, "Good," he replied and pulled away, moving gracefully to his feet. "I'm afraid we missed dinner, are you hungry at all?" The Dark Lord asked.

Harry shook his head, "not overly, no," he replied.

"Very we'll then, I shall bid you goodnight and I will see you in the morning. Sleep well and if you need anything call for Lissy, all right," he said, pausing at the door and turning to look back at Harry.

"All right," Harry agreed.

"Goodnight," Voldemort said with a nod and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Harry repositioned his pillows and lay back on the bed, thinking about that last conversation. Never in his life had Harry thought he'd ever hear the Dark Lord explain his actions to anyone, least of all Harry his previously sworn enemy. Then again he'd never expected to find the man attractive and he certainly did. Harry felt himself blush and threw the covers over his head. There was no denying the man was gorgeous, frighteningly so. The way he spoke, the way he walked, everything about him was seductive. Harry wondered if he even realised it himself.

Harry sighed. At least the man wasn't spending every waking second trying to find ways to hurt Harry. And he was the Dark Lord, Harry still didn't trust him and wasn't about to fall in love with the man, so having someone who was easy to get along with and easy to look at running his life until it ended wasn't so bad really. He snuggled under the covers and closed his eyes. If nothing else it certainly beat living with the Dursleys.

Xx

Voldemort wandered down to the dungeons and made his way along to Bellatrix's cell. He got there to find the woman huddling in the corner sobbing and found the sight more than a little amusing considering he hadn't even Crucio'd her yet. She looked up as she heard his footsteps approaching and immediately moved to the front of the cell, wrapping her hands around the bars and pressing her face into a gap between two of them.

"My Lord ... My Lord, why have you thrown me in here? Have I not been a good servant? Have I not done all you have asked of me?" She sobbed pathetically.

You betrayed me, Bellatrix," he said quietly, the anger bubbling up within him as it had the moment he saw it happen in Harry's memories.

"No, My Lord, never," she denied vehemently. "I ... I love you, to the very depths of my soul, you must know that."

"Then why is Dumbledore not dead, Bellatrix?" He demanded angrily, enjoying the way she flinched at his tone. "You interfered with Severus and Draco's plan. Don't deny it, I have seen for myself," he snapped when she opened her mouth to object. "Why, Bellatrix?" He demanded.

"I didn't trust them to see it through, My Lord. I have never trusted Severus and Draco doesn't have the spine to kill. I wanted to make sure it was done," Bellatrix explained.

"And instead you allowed him to get away!" Voldemort snarled.

"He was supposed to be weak," Bellatrix argued. "Effected by the cursed ring."

"This is Dumbledore we're talking about! You can never count on anything like that, Bellatrix, I thought you knew that by now!" Voldemort roared and the woman shrank back as she had before. "Because of your foolish actions Severus' plan was ruined, Dumbledore still lives, you nearly cost me a valuable death eater and what exactly happened to Draco?" He demanded.

"Nothing, we just removed him from the fight. I wouldn't harm my own blood," Bellatrix blubbered imploringly.

"You'll understand if I don't believe you," Voldemort shot back angrily.

"I wouldn't!" Bellatrix all but screamed. "I love Cissy and Draco is her child. I'd never hurt her by harming him."

Voldemort shook his head with an exasperated sigh. He really must check on the Malfoy child, perhaps tomorrow would be a good time?

"My Lord, please, I will never do anything to displease you again, I swear it. I want only to serve you. Please let me out," the woman begged.

"I will think about it," he replied before turning and striding away from the cell. He couldn't make the decision right now and if he stayed here looking at her so helpless and pathetic he would curse her just so she'd actually have something to cry about. He passed Moody on his way back up, as well as the cell that held what was left of Umbridge, which wasn't a lot. He really should check if she was still alive and have her removed from the cell if she wasn't, but he couldn't be bothered right now. He'd had a long day and just wanted to sleep.

He reached his room and threw his clothes off, climbing into bed and getting comfortable. Nagini, who had been in the bed already, slithered over to him and curled up to his side.

"Did you speak to the bothersome female?" she asked.

"I did," Tom replied.

"And are you going to kill her?" Nagini asked.

"I am currently undecided on that point, my love," he replied. "I really want to right now, but at the same time she is very useful and has never disobeyed before. Not that I am aware of anyway. Her talent for duelling and the like is something I do not wish to waste; she is singularly gifted in that area."

"You will make the right decision," Nagini assured him, bringing a smile to his face.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," he replied slipping an arm around her and cuddling her close. For a few moments everything was silent, then the snake whispered, "Tom."

"Yes dear," he replied softly.

"I like the hatchling, must he die?" she asked quietly.

Voldemort didn't answer straight away, he honestly didn't know what to say back to that. Nagini never liked anyone except him. For her to be fond enough of the boy to be concerned for his wellbeing was nothing short of miraculous. He thought about her question and wondered himself if Harry's death was really necessary.

The prophecy said they couldn't both live, but why not? Harry was here now, he was under Voldemort's instruction and obeying his orders. That being the case what need was there for the boy to die? None that he could see. Perhaps he'd have to look into the prophecy further and find out if it really had merit. Harry was a valuable asset, easy on the eyes, and even though he'd never admit it to anyone he was actually starting to like the boy. While they'd been enemies he'd just wanted to kill Harry, but now that the boy was serving him and they were together so much, he was starting to see things in the boy that he liked.

In a lot of ways it annoyed him. It made him feel bad about hurting Harry and caused him to explain his actions, something he never did. He hadn't planned to, but it had eaten at him all afternoon and he'd done it to make the annoying, nagging feeling go away. It was like he wanted the boy to like him too. That annoyed him even more, but it was true. He did like Harry and he did want Harry to like him too. If he didn't have to kill the boy he wouldn't. Even if he didn't like him why waste such a magical talent? it made absolutely no sense.

"I do not know, my love," he finally replied. "I shall look into the matter further and if I find out he does not, he will not."

"Do you like the hatchling, Tom?" she asked after a moment's pause.

"I do, Nagini, possibly more than I should," he replied honestly.

She lifted her head to study him for a moment before saying. "We will research then and we will find a way to make sure he does not need to die," she said determinedly.

Voldemort chuckled, "You are very adamant there, darling," he commented.

Nagini just looked at him. "You like him, Tom, you don't like anyone except your inner circle, of course I am determined to keep him," she replied, as if he should have been expecting the answer.

He was stunned by how much her words sounded like his own thoughts about her and leant down over to kiss her snout. "I love you," he told her with a grin, pulling her close and snuggling down to sleep.

XX

End of chapter

So there's the back story. Was it what you were expecting? Feel free to let me know, I love hearing what you think. See you all soon.

Kayla xxoo


	7. Chapter 7

Hi all, sorry this has taken a while. I've rushed this chapter out so don't be surprised if there's some mistakes. Moe notes at the end, please read. :)

The Malfoys and Nosy Death Eaters

The next few days went by rather quickly and Harry was happy to note he managed to use them all wisely. Each morning after breakfast he, Severus and the Dark Lord would move to the study to talk and plan. They discussed what they considered to be the best approach for defeating Dumbledore, the order and the ministry as well as how would be best to keep Harry's chosen people out of harm's way. Harry was surprised by how much Voldemort actually listened to Severus and Harry and took their opinions into consideration while deciding how to proceed.

Harry was also introduced to dark magic and instructed by both men in how to safely wield it, a spell at a time. During the day Voldemort interacted with his death eaters and gave them orders or tortured them if they failed at something; that was probably the hardest part of Harry's day as he wasn't partial to watching people be tortured. At night Voldemort usually had them both join him for a private dinner rather than dining with the rest of the death eaters in the house and they ended the night with a discussion about other things. Voldemort didn't wish to discuss the war in the evenings, wanting instead something to help them clear their minds of it before they retired for the night.

Harry went to bed every evening having to remind himself that he'd just been talking to the dark lord and professor Snape. The thoughts were just so alien to him as he'd never expected to find the company of these two men enjoyable and he certainly did. They were both very intelligent and seemed to know a lot about everything.

It was about a week later when Harry finally had a moment alone with Severus, as they were walking to breakfast, that he mentioned this to the man. "I honestly never expected the Dark lord to be so ... pleasant," he stated honestly. "I mean I know he's still ruthless and I've seen what he does to his death eaters who fail, but he's so civil to me, I didn't expect it."

"It is a rather abrupt turnaround I will admit," Severus replied thoughtfully. "However the truth of it is that the man you see now is the man the dark lord used to be before he heard the prophecy. Fear can make people behave in very unusual ways, Harry, and not wanting to show that fear he channelled his energy into anger instead, I suspect. It became a good deal worse when he returned and no longer looked as he once did, something I attributed to his followers reactions to him when he did. Now not only does he have his old body back, but the prophecy will not come true, perhaps it has simply given him room to return to his old self."

"Maybe," Harry agreed. "I have to admit this is a lot more pleasant than I expected it to be, serving the dark lord, I really thought he'd be … meaner to me than he has been."

"You are no longer a threat, he has no reason to be cruel unless you disappoint him or disobey. Besides, you are the only person who he can truly trust not to betray him, because you physically can't, is it really surprising that he'd want someone to talk to who he knew would keep his confidence?" Severus asked.

"No I suppose not," Harry agreed. "Would it sound crazy if I said I'm actually happy here?" He asked. "I mean I miss the others, especially Draco, Luna, Remus and Hermione and I'm not so thrilled with the whole watching him torture people thing, but it's so much nicer here than spending time at the Dursley's, or at Grimauld place with the order," he admitted.

"It does not sound crazy," Severus replied. "The dark lord can be a very good host when he chooses to be. And here there is no question about where you stand."

"That's true," Harry agreed. They reached the stairs and immediately silenced so none of the other death eaters would see them conversing and think Severus was receiving preferential treatment.

Breakfast was over quickly and as with the previous days that week Voldemort demanded Harry and Severus' presence in his parlour. When they arrived they waited for the Lord to be seated before choosing seats of their own, as always. They both took a cup of tea from Lissy who then disappeared with a pop.

"This morning I'd like to discuss something specific with you two; the Malfoys," Voldemort began, gazing thoughtfully into his own cup of tea.

"What about them would you like to discuss, My Lord?" Harry asked curiously.

"As Severus well knows, but I know you are unaware, Harry, Lucius and Narcissa, like Severus, were two of my must trusted and loyal friends before my untimely end." Here he paused and stood up, moving over to the window and facing away from them as he continued. "I am … aware that my overzealousness regarding your capture and death over the last couple of years and my desire to overthrow the ministry has made me … somewhat blind to things that were once important to me. I had become quite mad; I think a lot of that was to do with having been reincarnated from a Horcrux, I wasn't whole." He paused again and Harry wondered where he was going with this. "With the return of my body, courtesy of that liquid you brought me, I find I am feeling different … more like myself. I can think clearer and … I find I am feeling … guilt."

Harry looked at Severus, his shock at the statement mirrored in Severus' face. The Dark lord felt guilty, Harry never expected to hear that.

"I don't regret everything I've done, I know some of it to be necessary but … I regret attacking you, Harry. I have never wished harm on a child, it goes against everything I hold true. Hearing that prophecy did something to me and … you are an adult now in many ways, you weren't back then. When we have fought over the years I have never truly been whole, never been able to truly comprehend what was happening around me, but that first night when we met … should never have taken place."

The room was silent and Harry didn't know if he should say something or wait for the man to speak again. Eventually Voldemort turned back to face them and his face was set into a neutral mask, although Harry could see emotion in his ruby eyes. "I regret how I've treated those who were loyal to me. Severus, you are of course among them and I wish to atone for how I have wronged you over the last several years. Be sure to let me know if there is any way I can do so."

Harry looked at Severus but the man seemed too stunned to speak.

"I also wish to atone for my abdominal behaviour toward Lucius and his family. I would like your input into how I may do so," Voldemort finished looking between the pair of them. Harry knew Severus was still in shock and he was too, but he managed to pull himself together and speak.

"Draco can't be a death eater, not in the traditional sense," he said. "He wants to serve you, that much is obvious, but his skills don't lie in fighting or hurting others, he's not that kind of person."

"And where do you think his skills lie then?" Voldemort asked curiously.

"Potions and healing," Severus replied this time. "The boy possesses very strong, natural healing ability and a skill for potions that may, with the proper training, someday rival my own."

"I understand the importance of strong death eaters who can duel well, but surely you could also see the benefit of a good healer within your ranks, as well as a second potions master who could assist Severus with his work. He would be a far greater asset to you that way then if you were to try and use him as a death eater and Lucius and Narcissa would surely prefer their son to be safe than in the firing line," Harry gently suggested.

"Of that I have no doubt," Voldemort agreed. "Do you truly feel he has talent in these areas?" he asked Severus.

"You may test him for yourself if you wish, My Lord," Severus replied.

"More importantly, is he loyal?" Voldemort asked.

"I believe so, My Lord," Severus replied.

"And as much as you may punish me for saying so, if you weren't holding his parents' lives over his head I imagine his loyalty would be a lot stronger," Harry added cautiously.

What looked like guilt flitted through the Dark Lord's eyes and he looked away for a moment. "Yes, of course," he agreed quietly. "Severus could you go to Malfoy manor and bring the family here to see me, I do not wish to frighten them by summoning them," he requested softly.

"As you wish, My Lord," Severus agreed, moving toward the door.

"Tom." Voldemort's voice made him pause and had Harry looking at him curiously.

"My Lord?" Severus asked.

"You always called me Tom when we were within selected company," the Dark Lord said softly, not looking up.

"Very well, Tom," Severus agreed with a softness in his voice Harry had only ever heard when the man was addressing Draco or himself. Voldemort looked up and Harry was shocked when he saw a soft smile on the Dark Lord's face. He was shocked further when he saw Severus give him a soft smile in return and the potions master headed out of the room.

There was silence for several moments before Voldemort moved over to the couch Harry was occupying and sat down gracefully beside him. He took a deep breath, resting his face in his hands.

"I have made a terrible mess of things, Harry," he said, when he withdrew his hands. "My goal has been lost; my friends are frightened and damaged, due to my actions. As much as I'd like to blame that stupid prophecy and the near senile woman who made it, I know I cannot. I let it go to my head, let it warp me and when I died and returned to this world incomplete it became all that I was." He turned to look at Harry then. "I was threatened by you, a mere child, who was to say if I hadn't attacked you that night, if I'd left you and your family be, that we'd have been enemies at all. If I hadn't let the fear and anger destroy me I could have brought about the world I wanted to see and … No, it couldn't have happened, my path into the darkness started a long time before that. I allowed others, hungry for power, to influence me. The prophecy was just the final straw."

He was silent for several moments, just watching Harry, and Harry couldn't help but wonder just what else might have been in the water from the fountain to make the man change like this. Was this really who Voldemort was deep down?

"I don't know what's happening to me," Voldemort said softly.

"You're becoming human again, at least that's how it appears to me," Harry replied honestly. "That's not a bad thing, My Lord."

"Is it not?" Voldemort asked. "It feels like a bad thing. I don't like feeling guilty, I don't like regretting my actions."

"But you want your friends to forgive you don't you? You want their companionship back? This is the first step toward that, My Lord. The guilt and remorse will serve to remind you of what not to do, keep you from repeating your mistakes," Harry reassured him.

Those ruby eyes looked at him for a long time, emotions dancing across the surface too quickly for Harry to grasp. After what felt like hours he opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Voldemort called, his eyes not leaving Harry's.

"It is Severus, My Lord, I have returned with the Malfoys as requested.

Voldemort closed his eyes and pulled away from Harry, taking several deep breaths before calling out for them to enter. Harry placed his mask back on his face as the door opened to admit the family, unsure as to whether Voldemort would want the Malfoys to know who he was. Draco would already of course, but the Dark Lord didn't know that.

Severus lead the group in as Harry and Voldemort rose to their feet and the Dark Lord ordered them to sit which the three of them did, looking more than a little frightened. Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for the patriarch as he lowered himself shakily to a couch, his face looking far older than it should and his eyes flitting from side to side in search of invisible enemies; a sign of the psychosis brought about from his time in Azkaban.

"Do you wish for us to remain, My Lord?" Harry asked of himself and Severus. Voldemort's piercing gaze was fixed on Lucius whose own looked everywhere but back at the Dark Lord.

After several moments he called for Lissy and ordered her to take Harry to his room to retrieve the bottle Harry had brought him. Harry went with her and returned with the bottle as asked, handing it to the man and awaiting further instructions. Voldemort moved over to the couch where the family were sitting close together and uncorked the bottle. Kneeling down beside Lucius he held it out to him. "Take a sip of this. You will sleep for several moments but you will awaken quickly; once you have we will speak. Do you understand?" he asked the man who nodded wordlessly and reached for the bottle without question, either trusting that it wouldn't hurt him or simply being too beaten down to argue, which was the more likely answer.

Voldemort kept a hold of the bottle to keep it steady as Lucius sipped the healing liquid, then pulled it back and re-corked it when he was done. Lucius blinked and swayed slightly on the spot for several seconds and Severus passed Narcissa a pillow to place on her lap as Voldemort helped the eldest Malfoy lie down with his head in his wife's lap. Narcissa looked at her husband worriedly until a soft yellow glow moved over his body. It smoothed out the lines that should not have been present in his face and smoothed over his hair, removing the lankness and returning it to its shining, silky softness.

Narcissa looked from Lucius to Voldemort in shock before returning her attention to her husband in time to see the glow concentrate on his head before disappearing in a puff of dust and dispersing into the air. Lucius groaned quietly and opened his eyes, which Harry could see, even from where he was standing, were clear and sharp as he'd known them to be when he was young. They looked up at Narcissa before traveling to Severus then on to Harry and finally stopping at Voldemort. They widened almost comically and Lucius immediately tried to sit up, "My Lord I-"

Voldemort's hand on his arm stopped him and he pressed Lucius back to gently lie down again. "Do not rush to sit up, Lucius. You will feel dizzy and weak for a few minutes but it will fade," he told the man with firm kindness, before moving to his feet and handing the bottle to Harry, who immediately placed it in a pocket in his robes for safekeeping. Lucius looked confused but he did as he was told and Voldemort turned his attention to Draco.

"Now, Draco, let's talk about you," he said decisively.

"Draco?" Lucius asked softly and looked up at his son who was sitting on the other side of Narcissa. He looked confused, as if he hadn't known the young man was there.

"What is it you wish to speak to me about, My Lord?" Draco asked politely.

"It has been brought to my attention, by people who seem to know you rather well, that you are not suited to being a death eater, not in the traditional sense. I am told that your skills and talents lie in other areas, potions and healing as I am told, is this true, Draco?" he asked.

Harry saw Draco's eyes widen in surprise and both Narcissa and Lucius looked worried. "May I enquire as to who said these things about me, My Lord?" Draco asked.

Voldemort looked at him thoughtfully for several moments before replying, "Severus and my new right hand," he replied.

Draco's gaze flew to Severus and Harry before returning to Voldemort. "Yes, My Lord, that is correct," he affirmed. "I am sorry, My Lord."

"And why on earth would you be sorry, child?" Voldemort asked, drawing a surprised look from Draco. "This is in fact a brilliant thing, young man. I have recently been reminded that I need people of many talents around me to achieve my goals and you are going to be one such person. If I can trust you of course," he asked, looking at Draco with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course, My Lord," Draco replied immediately.

"Let us test that shall we?" Voldemort asked. "Why were you and Severus unsuccessful in your efforts to kill Dumbledore?"

Harry knew why he would ask that question, he wanted to know if Draco's loyalty to him was stronger than his loyalty to Bellatrix, who was his blood. Draco looked down at his hands for several moments, obviously torn. Finally he looked back up at the man and replied, "Because Aunt Bella came in with a group of death eaters when were about to kill the old man and interrupted us. She attacked Severus and had one of the others take me back to the manor before I had time to realise what was happening. I am sorry we failed, My Lord," he finished, looking down at his hands once more.

Narcissa and Lucius were looking at their son in shock but aside from the surprised gasp Narcissa had made when Draco had first mentioned her sister's involvement they had remained silent. Voldemort smiled and Harry saw the two elder Malfoy's surprise when he came forward and grabbed Draco's face in his hands kissing the boy's forehead.

"Good boy," he praised pulling back from Draco who looked like he was about to die of shock. "You will do perfectly. I would like for you to reside in the manor for the remainder of your holidays so we can begin training you appropriately for your skills. Severus will be responsible for your potions training and I will choose a mediwizard to be responsible for your medical training. I am sure you will want to have time with your family while you are on holidays, the weekends will be yours to do with as you wish unless I am in need of your skills, does that sound reasonable?" he asked.

"Um … Yes, My Lord," Draco replied, obviously still in shock.

"Good," Voldemort agreed before turning his attention back to Lucius who was still lying down and looking at Voldemort like he had a screw loose. "Are you feeling better, Lucius?" he asked.

"Yes, My Lord," Lucius replied.

"Very well, you can sit up now slowly if you feel capable of it," he directed and Severus helped Lucius ease up into a sitting position. When Lucius looked plenty stable Severus pulled back and Voldemort looked at them all in consideration before asking Lissy to set up a room for Draco in his wing. He then ordered Harry and Severus to take him there and show him the way around.

The thee left together and made their way through the halls to Voldemort's wing of the manor. They reached the room Lissy was setting up for Draco and showed him where it was before moving back to Severus' room, which was next door, and heading in. As soon as the door was closed behind them they were in an awkward three way hug, holding on to each other tightly.

"I am so glad you are safe," Severus whispered to Draco.

"I am too, I was so worried about you both," Draco replied.

"Did Bellatrix hurt you at all?" Harry asked Draco.

"No, she just had me taken back to the manor and locked in my room until she got back. She ranted and raved about you and Dumbledore getting away but that was all. I'm so glad you're both all right, I saw her attack you, Severus," Draco said, turning worried eyes on the older man.

"I recovered, Draco," Severus assured him and Draco nodded, smiling at the older wizard.

"I'm glad. How is Luna?" he asked.

"Worried sick about you, but otherwise fine last time I saw her," Severus replied.

Draco nodded looking relieved. 'That's good. So, what's going on with the Dark Lord? he's acting so strange."

"We're not completely sure," Harry replied. "We think the healing liquid I gave him restored his mind as well as his body, like it seems to have done for your dad. It's making him see things clearly again, feel things again," he explained.

"We'll whatever it is its a damn miracle," Draco commented.

"You can say that again," Harry agreed.

Lissy popped into the room then and asked them to return to the Dark Lord, which they all did without question. Once they were back the dark lord invited them to sit so they could resume their discussion with the Malfoys' input. It was a fruitful discussion and when it was over Voldemort invited the Malfoys to spend the afternoon with their son before he began his tutorage the following day. He commanded their presence for dinner that evening, which of course they agreed to. He then offered Harry and Severus the afternoon free, after he'd had the chance to speak to Severus alone. Severus remained when the rest of them filed out of the room, and Harry found himself alone for the first time since he'd arrived in the manor.

He wandered the halls of the place, familiarising himself with the layout, which until that point he hadn't had the chance to do. He found the garden which was quite beautiful and he saw the Malfoys in a three way embrace, tears slipping daintily from Narcissa's eyes as Lucius held her and Draco tightly. She was obviously pleased to have her husband back properly and Draco was smiling, a peaceful, happy smile he'd only seen on the young man when he was with Luna or Severus. Draco spotted him through the glass as he passed them and gave Harry a warm smile and a nod of thanks. Harry returned his smile and continued on through the hall.

Harry felt pretty good about everything right at the moment. Draco was happy and he and his family were safe. Severus was safe and well and Voldemort hadn't been at all cruel to Harry during his stay, not really. He honestly felt more at peace here in Slytherin Manor, with Voldemort and his death eaters, than he'd ever felt back at Grimauld place with the order. Although he did miss his friends back home.

Once he'd memorised the layout of the manor he headed out into what appeared to be a private area of the garden and decided he'd spend the afternoon meditating, while the sun was out to keep him warm. He found a spot under a tree which the sun still reached and sat with his back against the trunk. He closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply, focusing on journeying inside his mind and reaching the calm centre. He hadn't been at it long when he felt a presence with him in the garden and suddenly something was touching his hand. He reached out with his magic to get a sense of who or what it was and realised almost immediately that it was Nagini. He wasn't sure what she wanted, but she hadn't harmed him since he'd arrived or been unkind at all, so he waited to see what she'd do.

He felt her Slither up onto his lap and felt her tongue dart out to taste his skin. She paused for a moment, then he felt her body moving and very soon she had deposited herself in his lap and seemed to be settling in to sleep. He smiled to himself, completely as ease with her presence and the reassuring weight of her long body on his lap. He reached out with one hand, not moving so quickly as to startle her, and ran his fingers gently over her head and down her back, which earned him a happy and contended hiss from the serpent he'd once found extremely frightening.

He returned to his meditation then, his hand still resting on her head, which she seemed to like a great deal. He slipped in to his mind and spiralled through the thoughts and memories, ensuring his mental shields and pathways were intact and secure before heading to his core. He wrapped himself around it, calming his mind and allowing it to clear completely as Severus had taught him. He wasn't sure how long he was in there, it didn't feel like it had been long, but he was pulled out of it by voices talking nearby.

"Is that him?"

"Yeah, the Dark Lord's new right hand."

"He doesn't look like much."

"He doesn't does he. He's young, I'm not sure how much he could possibly know or how strong he could possibly be, but I've not seen The Lord without him since he arrived and he seems quite attached to the young thing already."

"I heard he let the child kill Umbridge."

"No great loss there."

"Not in the least."

"Still she was useful to the dark lord, that boy really must be something if he just handed her over to the kid to kill."

"Mmm. Are you going to do anything about him?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'd like him gone as I'm sure a lot of people would, but yhe Lord is quite adamant that anyone who damages the kid will meet a very sticky end and I do not want to be on his bad side."

"Isn't that the truth. Still, he's bound to slip up eventually and you know when he does the rest of us will just have to be ready."

"Guess so."

"What are you doing?"

"There's no one around, I just want to get a closer look at him."

"Are you crazy? That's the Lord's private garden."

"And he's not around."

Harry heard footsteps approaching and he knew Nagini did too as she tensed under his hand.

"Come back you idiot, you're going to get yourself killed!"

"It's fine."

Harry gave no outward indication that he was aware of the man's presence, but he brought up a shield charm around himself and Nagini in case the man tried something. He waited to see what the stranger would do. Not intending to allow the man close enough to touch him, but wanting him closer before Harry revealed that he was aware of his presence. Nagini didn't appear to have as much tolerance of people invading her space as Harry did however, and as the man approached he felt her rear up and lash out at the stranger, who jumped back with a startled yelp.

"Fuck! The bloody snake's on his lap!" he all but yelled and Harry had to wonder how the man hadn't noticed earlier. Nagini wasn't exactly small. Harry opened his eyes then and looked up at the man whose own eyes widened in fear as he saw he had Harry's attention.

"You're not an overly bright spark are you?" He asked as the man backed away from him, hands held up in surrender.

"Look I didn't mean to intrude I was just-"

"Just wanting a closer look, right?" Harry asked pointedly and the death eater swallowed audibly. "Yes I heard. I wouldn't be holding my breath with the whole idea of me messing up and falling out of the lord's good graces, because that's not going to happen any time soon and if you even think of trying to take me out so you can claim my spot as his right hand, I promise you, you'll very swiftly live to regret it. I may, as you said, not look like much, but I guarantee you, appearances, in my case, are very deceiving. You do not want to see me angry, it won't end well for you. Do you understand?"

The man continued to back away, but Harry had been around too long not to see how his hand inched toward his wand. Harry whipped his out and pointed it at the man before he could even blink. "Oh, you're really not very clever are you," he stated and cast a disarming spell before the man even managed to reach his wand, sending it flying out of his holster and over into a nearby bush.

Nagini was apparently sick of the man's presence because she shot up from Harry's lap and launched herself at the death eater, jaws open and ready to dig into the man's skin. The death eater's eyes widened in fear and he reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a knife of some description. Nagini reared up on her tail and frightened she was going to be hurt by the man, even though he was fairly certain she was much quicker than him, Harry launched an expelliamus charm at him and sent him flying backward and through the manor's outer wall.

Harry moved to Nagini's side and she turned to look at him curiously. "Are you all right?" he hissed to her softly.

"I am quite fine, thank you," she replied. "Why did you shoot the stupid human?" she asked.

"I didn't want him to hurt you," Harry replied honestly. "I mean I'm sure he would have come off second best in a fight between you two, but he still could have done you some damage before you killed him."

"You were concerned for me?" she asked, her tone one of surprise.

"Yes, of course. Should I not be?" he asked.

Nagini slithered closer and nuzzled his cheek. "I like you hatchling," she told him softly and Harry smiled despite his surprise at her admission.

"I like you too, Nagini," he hissed back to her, stroking her neck, which she seemed to enjoy because she rested her face on his shoulder and nuzzled in closer.

"And just what is going on here?" Voldemort's voice drew Harry's attention and he found the man leaning on the hole the death eater had made in the wall, looking none too impressed.

"That stupid human attacked us," Nagini hissed in reply, motioning with her head to the man who was still passed out at Voldemort's feet, before returning her face to Harry's shoulder. "He tried to use spells on us but the hatchling is faster with a wand. Then he brandished a knife at me so the hatchling shot him through the wall," she finished her explanation and snuggled her face into Harry some more.

"I see," Voldemort replied, his expression growing darker as he looked down at the man who was only just groaning awake. "You thought it was a good idea to attack my right hand and my familiar did you?" he asked, his voice calm even though Harry could tell he was far from it.

"No, My Lord, I would never do that," the man stuttered in reply.

"Really now? Nagini tells me differently and for some reason my right hand saw it fit to shoot you through a wall. Why would he do that if you hadn't attacked him?" Voldemort demanded.

"Maybe they thought I was attacking them, but I wasn't, I swear," the death eater argued desperately.

"So you brandish knives at people on a daily basis then do you?" Voldemort asked with a shake of his head. "There is no point lying to me, you may as well be honest, it will help determine your punishment."

The man deflated with a sigh. "Fine, yes I was going to attack the boy, but I had no intention of harming the snake until she came at me all angry," he tried to argue.

Voldemort sighed angrily and turned to look at Nagini. "Are you hungry, love?" he hissed.

"Not right now," Nagini replied.

"Would you like to kill him now or shall I have him kept in the dungeons until you're feeling hungry again?" he hissed.

Nagini thought about it. "I'd like to eat him tomorrow, please," she replied and Voldemort nodded in acquiescence.

"As you like. Lissy!" the elf appeared immediately and bowed to the Dark Lord.

"Yes, Master," she greeted him.

"Please take this useless piece of meat to a cell in the dungeons until Nagini's ready for him," he ordered. The death eater spluttered and whined at his feet, but Lissy quickly disappeared with him. Voldemort sighed and stepped out of the hole in the wall, closing it up behind him with a wave of his hand. Harry bowed lowly to the man as he approached and apologised for entering his private garden.

"Don't apologise for that, it's not like you were aware that's what this is," Voldemort dismissed his concerns. "Are you injured?"

"No," Harry replied, raising back up to his normal height. He suddenly remembered the other man who'd been talking to the one that approached them. He looked around for any sight of the man but there didn't seem to be any.

"Something wrong?" Voldemort asked.

"The guy you just sent away, he was talking to someone before he came in here to bother us, I didn't know if he was still around," Harry explained.

Voldemort waved his hand and waited for several seconds before shaking his head. "No, he is gone, whoever he was."

Harry nodded, glad the other man hadn't tried to join the first in causing trouble.

"Come inside and get ready for dinner," Voldemort ordered and Harry followed him back inside the manor. The man seemed different from earlier that day, more closed off and cold. Harry wondered if that was because he was angry about the death eater or if it were something else entirely. Either way he imagined he'd either find out soon or never know, that seemed to be the way with Voldemort.

XX

Hi. So all the writing time I've had lately has gone to this story so it's written well in advance, I just need to find some time to proof read it. This chapter probably isn't written spectacularly, I've had to just skim over it rather quickly to get it posted or you wouldn't be seeing it until next week at the earliest. Sorry about that, but I figured you'd rather a sooner update than perfect grammar. Anyway, Voldemort's being quite OOC this chapter, but don't worry you'll find out why next time.

Thanks for all the lovely reviews and favourites, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story, I'm honestly shocked at how popular it is :). Please keep the feedback coming, I only get better if I get feedback :).

Now I have to address something from previous reviews regarding Voldemort's punishment of Harry. Was it harsh? Probably. But I shouldn't have to remind you he is the dark lord and not overly sane or balanced. Yes he likes Harry, but this isn't going to be one of those fics where he just becomes a cuddly teddybear all of a sudden and if he does there will always be a reason and a reaction. I want to make it as realistic as possible hence the comment about how Voldemort's OOC behaviour is going to be explained next chapter. Will he become a better person throughout the story? Maybe. But it will have a cause and happen over a period of time not just out of nowhere.


	8. Chapter 8

Hi all, sorry for the long wait I've had a lot going on including buying a house. We're moving soon so I wanted to get an update out before we moved because I'm not sure how long it will be before we have internet access again. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter but I wanted to get it posted. I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think, I love to hear your opinions xxoo

Outburst

Dinner was awkward for all of them. The Dark Lord was unsettled about something which had them all on edge and when the meal was over the man retreated to his study after ordering all of them not to follow, Harry included. Harry retreated to the library with Severus, the two of them dropping down on a couch with a book each. It was a companionable silence between them Harry was happy to note, and after a few minutes of reading he decided to do something a little unorthodox to see what would happen.

He got up from his couch and moved over to the one Severus was occupying, sitting down beside the man, but not close enough to invade his personal space. He kept his attention focused on the book in his hands, but he could see Severus looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

For a moment the man just studied him, then he returned to his reading without comment which made Harry smile. They had an adversarial past, nothing would ever change that, but since finding out about Lilly's letter they'd both been making an effort to be kinder to each other and it was at the point where Harry felt true affection for the man; he hoped Severus felt it for him as well.

He'd just gotten back into reading the book he'd picked up when he felt Severus' hand gently stroke the hair on the back of his head. He didn't say anything, not wanting to make the man feel uncomfortable about his actions, but he smiled warmly into his book. It was nice to feel cared about.

XX

Nagini allowed Tom ten minutes alone in his study before following after him. He'd come out of his conversation with Severus just fine, but somewhere between Nagini leaving him to find some sun and the man meeting up with her and Harry again in the garden, Tom had become agitated about something and the agitation only grew stronger as the evening progressed. He'd requested solitude when he'd left dinner and she'd let him go, knowing everybody needed alone time sometimes. But she couldn't stay away long, she was too worried about him.

She squeezed under the study door and spotted him immediately, pacing the floor from one end of the room to the other, muttering to himself angrily.

"Tom, what is wrong?" Nagini asked worriedly.

"I told you to leave me alone!" the man snapped angrily.

"And I did for a time, but I am worried for you. I do not understand this agitation you are feeling and I am unaccustomed to not understanding your feelings. What has happened to upset you so?"

He stopped pacing and fixed her with a glare. "Are you in on it too?"

"In on what?"

"This plot, or whatever it is by that blasted child to ruin me!" Tom snarled.

"Tom, you are not making sense," Nagini said confused.

"Oh am I not? You were outside cuddling with Potter this afternoon so I know you're cosy with him!"

"He protected me, Tom, that's a big deal and you know it. I've also made it clear that I like the hatchling. I have not kept this a secret from you, nor have you kept your own liking for the hatchling a secret from me. What does this have to do with anything?" she asked.

"What? Well that's the question of the day now isn't it, what? Like what the hell is going on here? What in the name of Merlin has that boy done to me? What was in that damned liquid he gave me and how the hell am I going to fix it?"

"It was a healing liquid, he showed you his own memories of that night, Tom, why would you think he's lying?" Nagini asked.

"BECAUSE LOOK AT ME!" the man screamed angrily. "I'M FEELING GUILTY AND REMORSEFUL. I AM BEING KIND TO PEOPLE, EVEN HARRY BLOODY POTTER WHO I'VE WANTED TO KILL FOREVER AND DEATH EATERS WHO HAVE ALREADY FAILED ME AND TURNED AWAY FROM ME. I AM THE DARK LORD FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, I DO NOT HAVE REGRETS, I DO NOT FEEL GUILT AND I AM NOT NICE. I KILL PEOPLE AND HURT PEOPLE, I DO NOT DO KIND THINGS FOR THEM AND I CERTAINLY DO NOT LIKE THEM OR WANT THEM TO LIKE ME. THIS IS ALL HIS FAULT, I KNOW IT IS, AND I SHOULD GO IN THERE AND CONFRONT HIM ABOUT IT BUT I CAN'T, BECAUSE AS IMPOSSIBLE AS IT IS I WANT HIM TO LIKE ME AND EVEN THOUGH I KNOW HE NEVER WILL I STILL CAN'T DO IT!"

With a wave of his hand he sent everything on his desk crashing to the floor. Another wave sent the chairs flying in all directions and another smashed the windows behind him.

When the destruction was over Nagini slithered over to the man and slid up his body, knowing he'd never push her away out of fear that she wouldn't come back. She wrapped herself around his shoulders and nuzzled his cheek, feeling his heartbeat start to slow and his breathing even out. He sank slowly to the floor, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly against him.

"What is wrong with me, Nagini?" he whispered and she could hear fear in his voice.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you, Tom," she told him truthfully.

"But I'm feeling guilty, I've never felt guilty about anything in my life and I … I like someone, other than my old friends. He's supposed to be my hated enemy, I'm not supposed to like him. There must be something wrong with me."

"Tom that healing liquid is very strong, evidently, maybe it healed things that you never knew were broken," she suggested as gently as she could.

"Then why didn't I feel like this as soon as I drank it?" he asked.

"I don't know, you humans have strange brains I can't tell you how they work. Maybe long term damage takes longer to fix. I'm not a mind healer, Tom, maybe you need to find one to ask."

"Maybe … I don't feel like me anymore." His voice sounded so small as he said the words.

"You still seem like you to me, Tom, in all the ways that matter at least," Nagini assured him. "Do you still want to overthrow the ministry?"

"Yes."

"Do you still want to remove muggles from the magical world?"

"Yes."

"Do you still want to kill Dumbledore?"

"Yes."

"See, you're fine. So you like someone, that's not bad, don't a lot of you humans say there's supposed to be someone out there for everyone? The hatchling has the same phoenix feather wand as you, maybe that's because he's your match," Nagini suggested.

"I don't believe in those things," Tom argued.

"Just because you don't believe it doesn't mean it's not true. Mice are delicious, whether you think so or not." He chuckled at that, which had been her aim. "You spent a good long while believing a prophecy made by a mad woman, that's far more outrageous an idea if you ask me."

"You may be right, darling."

"I'm always right," she reminded him, prompting another chuckle. "You should go to bed, perhaps you'll feel better about everything after some sleep," she suggested.

"I'm too agitated to sleep," he grumbled.

"Well … Moody is still down in the dungeons," Nagini reminded him and Tom smiled.

"You are right, my love, however could I have forgotten." He allowing her to slide off his body as he moved toward the door. "Care to join me for a little torture, dearest?"

"I never say no to torture," she agreed, proceeding him through the door when he opened it. As he shut the door behind him and turned to head down the corridor she shot up to her full height and looked him in the eyes. "See, I told you you were fine."

He smiled evilly back at her and followed her down to the dungeons. She hadn't been lying when she said she enjoyed a good torture session, but as she watched him work that night her mind was elsewhere. In fact it was several floors up where she hoped Harry was currently sleeping.

Tom needed the boy, she knew that now. She had to make sure he didn't go anywhere and nothing happened to him. She wasn't entirely sure how to bring that about, but she was going to work it out, because she could see that small sliver of light within her wizard glowing brighter and growing within him and it was all because of Harry.

XX

Harry and Severus were still reading when Harry felt Voldemort approaching the library. He left the couch and took the book back over to the shelves to put away. He'd already wanted to go to bed and if Voldemort wanted him for anything he wanted to be able to leave the room without holding the man up.

"What is it?" Severus asked.

"He's coming," Harry replied simply, knowing Severus would understand. He'd just slipped the book back in the book shelf when the Dark Lord walked into the room. He caste his eyes over Severus before moving to Harry and Harry wasn't sure whether he should be relieved that the man seemed less on edge or worried about why.

"I am retiring to my room for the evening, Harry, what are your plans?" he asked quietly.

"I was about to go to bed myself, My Lord," Harry replied honestly.

"Come along then," Voldemort ordered and Harry headed for the door. "Good evening, Severus," the man said in parting, following Harry from the room.

They walked in silence for several moments, in the end it was the dark lord who broke it. "You care for young Draco don't you?"

Harry was surprised by the question, but he answered the man honestly. "I do, My Lord. Does that displease you?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I just find it odd that he and Severus weren't included in your list. I know you care for Severus as well so I was curious as to why that is."

"Well, when I first presented you with the contract to sign we hadn't spoken much about why I was here. I didn't want to name them on the list in case you thought they'd betrayed you when they hadn't," Harry explained truthfully. Voldamort stopped walking and before Harry knew what was happening the man had his back pressed up against the wall and his face tilted up so he could delve into Harry's mind. Harry didn't struggle or resist in any way, he hadn't been lying and he knew the dark lord would see that. He felt the intrusion into his mind and grimaced slightly. He couldn't imagine ever being comfortable with someone else in his mind, although it was a lot less unpleasant that the last time had been and he knew it was because the man was being gentler.

He was obviously happy with what he saw because he pulled back from Harry's mind rather quickly and gently stroked his cheek before moving back out of his personal space.

"Let's get to bed shall we," he suggested and continued walking. Harry fell immediately into step behind him, rather used to the abrupt changes of action by now.

The man's current mood swings were baffling Harry. It was almost as if Voldemort were fluctuating between hating him and liking him; it was confusing as hell.

When they reached Voldemort's room Harry asked, as he always did, whether the man required anything further from him. When Voldemort declined the offer he bid him good night and headed for his own room.

He closed the door behind him and headed for the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, grabbing some pyjamas from the cupboard on his way past. He slipped off his robe and was about to throw it into the hamper when he felt something in the pocket. Surprised he reached inside and withdrew the vial of healing liquid, remembering only then that Voldemort had handed it to him after he'd given some to Lucius that day.

He thought about waiting until the following morning to give it back to the other man, but he didn't want Voldemort to remember it during the night and think Harry meant to keep it from him. The Lord had already seemed on edge around Harry that day, he didn't want to make it any worse.

He knocked quietly on the door that separated their rooms before pushing it slowly open. The candlelights had all been extinguished leaving the room bathed in the light of the almost full moon. "My Lord," Harry called in a whisper and when he received no response he moved over to the cupboard where Voldemort kept the healing liquid and pulled it open, placing the vial back where it belonged and closing the cupboard once more. He was moving to head back to his room when he heard a quiet noise come from the bed and he glanced round to see the man now lying on his side, the moonlight illuminating his face and making it look almost ethereal. For a moment Harry just looked at him, taken in by the man's almost angelic beauty.

If Harry didn't know he was the Dark Lord he would swear the man was a fallen angel, he was far too beautiful of a creature to be human. He looked a lot more at peace while he slept as well, like the weight of the world had been completely lifted from his shoulders and nothing at all could touch him. It made Harry smile to see him like that, everybody should be able to let go and relax once in a while, even the Dark Lord. With the smile still in place he turned and headed back into his room closing the door behind him and climbing into bed himself. It was funny, he'd honestly never imagined the Dark Lord sleeping at all, although of course he knew everyone did. Somehow it just made him seem so … human.

He snuffed out the candle and settled down to sleep, wondering what the next few weeks would entail and thinking about his friends back home and what they were doing now.

Meanwhile from the other side of the door a pair of blood red eyes slid open, the owner of those eyes wondering just what his right hand was doing in his room so late at night. He moved silently out of the bed and over to the cupboard he'd heard Harry approaching, the one where he kept his most important potions and spell books. He pulled it open and scanned the contents for anything that might be missing. Finding nothing he closed the cupboard and headed back to bed, puzzled. He decided he'd wait to see if Harry mentioned anything about it tomorrow, if not he'd ask the boy himself what he'd been up to.

XX

Breakfast the following morning was a little less strained than dinner had been, but Harry could still feel an edginess to the Dark Lord and he knew the others around the table felt it too. He seemed to be watching Harry and waiting for something, and Harry wondered if perhaps the dark Lord hadn't looked in his cupboard and seen that harry had returned the healing liquid yet. He didn't want to bring it up at breakfast where the other death eaters would hear, so he ate his breakfast silently and decided to tell Voldemort when they moved to the parlour for their morning planning meeting.

When Voldemort had finished his meal and dismissed everyone else from the table he ordered Severus and the Malfoys to head to the parlour before ordering Harry to follow him to another room. As soon as they reached a quiet room and the door was closed the man spoke.

"You were in my room last night, young one, why?" he asked quietly.

Harry fought away the blush that threatened to cover his face. He hadn't thought the man was awake, had he caught Harry staring at him? "I was returning your healing liquid, My Lord," Harry replied honestly. "When I was changing for the evening I realised I still had it. I was going to wait until this morning to return it, but I didn't want you to wonder if I was trying to keep it from you. I'm sorry for intruding on your privacy, My Lord," he apologised humbly.

Voldemort studied him shrewdly for several moments. "Come closer, Harry," he eventually said, and Harry knew what the man wanted. He moved forward and looked up into the man's blood red eyes, offering his mind for reading without being ordered. Voldemort raised an eyebrow at Harry, although Harry couldn't tell if he was surprised or amused by Harry's assumption.

He took Harry's face gently in a hand and slipped the mask off before entering his mind. Harry tensed as he always did at the violation, but didn't offer any resistance. When Voldemort pulled back after several seconds Harry felt himself relax and he was expecting the man to move away but he didn't. His ruby eyes studied Harry's face instead, taking in every feature, while his hand still held Harry's face in place. Harry didn't know what the Lord found or what decision he'd come to in those moments, but when he pulled away he seemed somewhat grim and oddly satisfied at the same time.

"Shall we join the others," Voldemort said, heading for the door. Harry followed after him, pausing when they reached the door for Voldemort to place his mask back on his face. When they arrived in the parlour Voldemort sat down in one of the couches and addressed them all. "I think it's time for a mission," he said. "There is a young, magical child whose existence I have only just been made aware of. Her magical parents have passed within the last year and her muggle caregiver has been raising her. That in and of itself would be unacceptable, but it has also been brought to my attention that she is mistreating the young girl quite severely."

Harry felt his blood boil hearing those words and he could see he wasn't the only one.

"A group of death eaters will go to her house this evening and retrieve her. I don't care what is done with her guardian as long as the child is retrieved. Severus."

"Yes, My Lord," Severus replied.

"You will lead this mission. Take as many death eaters as you like as well as my right hand. It is time he went on his first mission for me," Voldemort directed.

Severus agreed and asked the lord for as many specifics as he could get. Harry listened to all the information, trying to keep the butterflies in his stomach contained. He knew this moment would come, he'd been expecting it for a while now but that didn't make it any less nerve racking for him. He was relieved that at least he wasn't being ordered to attack innocent people. If this little girl was being abused he would be more than happy to help retrieve her.

The rest of the day was spent planning with the three other death eaters Severus chose. Among them were the Lestrange brothers, neither of whom seemed even remotely bothered by Bellatrix' continued imprisonment. They, along with Severus and Harry, went over all the information hey had, which included a map their ministry contact had provided.

When night fell they had dinner and headed out, Harry's robes and mask exchanged for pure black ones that would blend into the darkness. The group strode together to the edge of the manor's anti-apparition wards and disappeared with barely a pop to be heard. They appeared in some thick trees not far from an old farm house and spread out, closing in on the house from all directions as they had discussed earlier that day. Harry wasn't far from Severus, the Lord wanting the potions master to keep a close eye on him for his first mission.

As they neared the building Harry heard a loud smack echo through the night followed by a child crying. A female voice was then heard from within the house yelling at the child over something. Harry couldn't stop the anger he felt building up within him. He wanted to treat the awful woman to exactly the same kind of cruelty as she was dishing out to an innocent child. He knew exactly how that felt and he wouldn't allow anyone to get away with hurting another child as he'd been hurt.

When everyone was in position Severus sent the signal to attack and they all closed in on the house, blowing through doors, windows, walls, whatever was needed to get into the house and reach the child. As Harry entered through a door he saw the woman with her hand poised to hit the girl who was cowering in a corner, crying. His job was to get the child and retreat. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, but he followed Severus' orders to the letter, knowing they'd been given for a reason.

The woman looked over at them with wide eyes and before she could say anything a spell from Severus' wand sent her flying back into a nearby wall. Harry raced to the little girl's side and scooped her up, talking calmingly to her as he carried her out of the house and away from the nightmare she'd been living in.

"Everything's going to be okay. Nobody's going to hurt you anymore," he told her softly. The little girl clung to him, sobbing into his shoulder and he rubbed her back softly, whispering further reassurances. A minute later Severus and the others joined him outside the house and after taking a quick head count Severus handed them all a portkey to take hold of and tapped it three times with his wand to activate it. The last thing Harry saw before they disappeared from the yard was the muggle house going up in flames.

They appeared in the house of a pureblooded healer named Dimitrov, who Harry had only met briefly when he'd come to the manor to begin Draco's training. Harry watched as he gave the girl a calming draught and looked her over. Harry was disgusted to see the number of cuts and bruises littering her small body but he was pleased to see how efficiently the healer took care of the damage.

A short time into the healing a couple Harry didn't recognise arrived to see the girl. As they introduced themselves to Harry and rest of the gathered death eaters, Harry found out they were from France and were there to take the girl home with them to raise as their own. They seemed like nice people and Harry was glad the girl was going to a better home.

When everything was settled and the healing was complete the new family were introduced to the girl, who looked like she couldn't believe what she was hearing and Harry and the others apparated back to Slytherin manor to report to Voldemort. He was pleased with the outcome and dismissed all but Harry and Severus, waiting until they had all shuffled from the room, relief evident on their faces, to address the pair.

"How did Harry go, Severus?" he asked.

"Very well, My Lord. He worked perfectly within the confines of my instructions and performed his part flawlessly," Severus replied.

"Very good, Severus, I am very pleased with your work this evening. You may retire to your room now, I would like to speak to Harry alone," he instructed. Severus bowed to Voldemort and left the room. Once they were alone and the door was shut Voldemort studied him closely. Harry didn't say anything, waiting patiently for whatever it was the Dark Lord wanted to speak to him about.

"You seem rather displeased there, Harry, did something about this evening bother you?" he asked, surprising Harry greatly.

He thought about how he should answer that, and decided to tell the truth. "I don't like seeing children abused, My Lord, it bothers me a great deal."

"As it does me, young one," the Lord replied. "I would expect it should bother any decent human being, however your disgust seems a little more personal than that. Care to tell me why?"

No Harry did not want to tell him why, but he doubted it was a question. "I would prefer not to discuss it, My Lord, however you know I will not deny you should you order the information from me." he replied truthfully.

Voldemort studied him for several moments before saying, "I'd rather not order the information from you, Harry, but I also think as you will be going on these missions in the future it would be best to share this information with me."

He wasn't demanding even though he knew perfectly well he could, and because of that Harry told him about the Dursleys. He told him about the cupboard, the starvation, the constant teasing and belittling of him through his life. He told him how he was never supposed to go to those people at all but Dumbledore ignored his mothers will and sent him there anyway. He explained how he'd told the headmaster about what happened to him and the man had done nothing about it.

When he was finished the Lord was silent for several moments before leaving his throne and walking down to stand in front of Harry. He placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "My own childhood was not all that different and perpetrated by muggles like your own. It is one of the reasons I am so adamant about removing them and their influence from our world. Wizzarding parents would never treat their children that way. They might be harsh on them at times, but you would never see a parent in this world deny their child food or the basic necessities of life, they value their children far too highly to do anything of the kind. Abraxas Malfoy was a cruel man, but he never treated Lucius the way those muggles treated you, he wouldn't have even considered it. They're a disease, and I don't want it infesting our world."

"They're not all like that," Harry argued. "There are some good ones out there."

"Perhaps, I am happy enough to leave them alone in their world as long as they stay out of ours."

"My friend, Hermione, her parents are both muggles and they're good and decent people. They've never been cruel to her about her magical abilities, they've supported her through it all. I understand you don't want muggle customs and ideas creeping into this world and I also understand why, but I don't think excluding all muggles is right when there are some decent people out there who truly want their children to be happy and well and who have no interest in harming our world."

Voldemort considered him for a long time, then he spoke, "Unfortunately it only takes one person to spread a disease, and while you might be right how do we know who that person is going to be?"

"Magical monitoring," Harry replied, having already discussed something similar with Hermione over the years. "Place monitoring charms on the magical children and have a magical department whose job it is to spend time with the children as they grow up. They can teach them about our world and our ways and then, when they first come to magical school, they're not overwhelmed by it all and aren't falling back on their muggle upbringing to guide them through it all."

Voldemort looked thoughtful and slightly amused. "You've given this some prior thought haven't you?" he asked.

"I have actually," Harry replied honestly. "I never wanted another magical child to grow up like I did."

Voldemort nodded and Harry could see understanding in his eyes. "I shall consider your proposal, but for now I am going down to bed. Are you coming?" he asked.

Harry agreed and followed him out of the room. "The little girl, is she going to be okay?" Harry asked as they walked.

"She will be well cared for, I have made sure of it," Voldemort replied.

"Good," Harry said with a nod.

"How did you find the raid this evening? I'm sure it was a little odd for you."

"It was different," Harry replied. "Although I was in perfect agreement with doing it, so that made it easier."

"Yes I would imagine so. I thought it best to ease you into these things, other raids won't be quite so … to your taste I imagine."

"No I'm assuming not."

"And how do you feel about that?" Voldemort asked.

"It doesn't really matter does it?" Harry asked. "I will go and I will do as ordered, you know I'll never disobey or betray you."

"Yes indeed," Voldemort replied, studying him closely. "In fact you are the only one who can truthfully say that, and isn't that the oddest turn of events ever to occur?"

"It certainly is for me," Harry replied as they reached Voldemort's door. "Although if I'm being honest, regardless of what's ahead of me, I'd much rather be here than back with the order."

Voldemort seemed surprised by his admission, "Is that so? Why?"

"You don't lie to me," Harry began, deciding to be honest with the man. "I know exactly where I stand. I know you'll probably have things you want me to do that I don't particularly like, but you'll be direct about it. We are what we are, you're the master and I'm the servant, there's no lying or pretending we're something else. Maybe that sounds crazy but I prefer the honesty to the lies, regardless of what else comes with it."

"No it doesn't sound crazy," Voldemort replied. "But I would have thought you'd prefer your freedom to having every action dictated to you."

"I've never been free, My Lord, I wouldn't even know what it feels like," Harry admitted with a shrug. Voldemort looked honestly shocked by his answer and Harry smiled sadly. "If I wasn't the Dursleys slave I was Dumbledore's," he explained, "One lot neglected me, belittled me, lied to me beat me and starved me, the other used me, lied to me, conspired against me behind my back and tried to control my life, all the while pretending to be my friend. Both of them used me as their slave in one way or another, at least my servitude to you was my choice; so dictate away, I handed my life to you expecting just that."

When Voldemort seemed as a loss for words Harry spoke again. "Is there anything further you require from me, My Lord?"

"No," the man replied simply and Harry bowed to his lord, bidding the man good night before retreating to his room.

XX

Nagini had been out hunting mice most of the evening and upon her return she headed straight for Tom's room, ready to curl up in bed with her human and sure he would be there by now. She slipped under the door and looked up to see Tom sitting up in bed, still in his day robes, obviously lost in thought.

"What's wrong Tom?" she asked snapping him out of his thoughts and bringing his attention to her.

"Good evening, dearest, how was your hunt?" he asked.

"Fine. What's wrong?" she asked, especially worried about his behaviour as she knew he'd sent Harry and Severus out on a mission.

"Mr Potter told me something rather interesting tonight."

"What was it?" she asked, slithering up onto the bed and into his lap.

"He told me about his childhood, if it can be called that. It seems that, like myself, he was raised by muggles and also like myself he was very badly treated by those muggles."

Nagini hissed angrily. What the hell was wrong with those muggles? Hatchlings were a challenge surely, but they couldn't have been that hard to look after.

"He also told me that he'd never know what it's like to be free and that he'd rather be here with me ordering him around than anywhere else, because at least he knows I'm not hiding things from him. Which isn't technically true, but I'm not hiding anything that is going to be damaging to him," he said, that far away look once more in his eyes.

Nagini waited for him to go on and when he didn't she prompted him. "Why has this bothered you so?"

"Because I know how he feels," Tom replied, looking down at Nagini sadly. "I know what it feels like to have no control over your life, to know that everybody around you hates you and wishes you'd never been born. I know how it feels to be neglected and beaten and now that he's told me … I can see so many parallels between us and I don't know how I feel about that."

"You have things in common, isn't that a good basis for a relationship?" Nagini asked.

"There isn't going to be a relationship, Nagini," Tom replied.

"Why not?"

"Because he will never feel that way towards me," Tom explained.

"You never expected to feel that way toward him either. Things change, Tom, nothing is ever guaranteed. Maybe if you showed him some kindness his feelings would change too," Nagini argued.

"I don't know how to be kind, Nagini," he protested.

"Rubbish!" Nagini hissed angrily. "You are kind to me and your inner circle. You know perfectly well how to do it."

"You're different and you've seen for yourself how difficult it has been for me to be kind to my inner circle again. I did something nice for the Malfoys and had a meltdown over it," he reminded her of the previous evening. "It's almost as if I have split personalities and when one of them does something nice the other one lashes out. Like the second is demanding balance, commanding something damaging and cruel when something kind has occurred. It is infuriating, but I can't help but think it's my mind trying to protect itself, resisting my attempts to be kind and trying to keep my cruelty intact so I don't … I don't know … get hurt."

"I think you're just scared, Tom," Nagini argued, expecting the angry growl this elicited.

"I am not scared!" he snarled.

"Yes you are," Nagini disagreed. "And it's okay to feel scared about something like this. It's a big change for you and you shouldn't expect it to be easy. Why not start small. Be kind to Harry and your friends in little ways for a while and gradually build up to bigger things. Nobody is expecting you to be kind toward everyone, but if you work at it slowly maybe your mind will start to realise that you're not going to be hurt by anyone and allow you to be nice without demanding bloodshed in return." Her mind flew back to the previous evening and all the lovely tortures they'd thought up for Moody. She didn't want him to completely stop doing that, it was fun, but she knew he had the capacity to be nice to others and she wanted him to use it. Particularly if it meant him finding something as amazing as love.

He chuckled out of nowhere drawing her out of her thoughts. "I already have love, my dear, I have you."

She shook her head at him with an annoyed hiss. She never knew when he was going to read her thoughts, and honestly she still hadn't worked out how he did it since she couldn't do it back, but it always seemed to happen when she least wanted him to do it.

"I'm not talking about the kind of love you feel for me. I'm talking about the romantic kind and you know it."

"Yes you're right," he agreed quietly. "I still don't believe it's possible, but since it's important to you I shall try and see where this whole being kind thing takes me."

"Good," she replied, satisfied with the outcome of this conversation.

He shook his head and chuckled at her as he got up from the bed and moved over to the wardrobe to retrieve some pyjamas. Soon he was dressed again and curling up in bed with her, his body heat making her feel lovely and content.

They'd get through this as they did everything, together.

XX

Sorry this chapter isn't as perfect as I would have liked but I know a lot of you have been dying ofr an update so I wanted to post it anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll see you whenever I get internet access back.


	9. Chapter 9

I'm here! I've stollen some internet from my brother to bring you this chapter, I hope you like it :) Harry's going on a tougher mission this time, what will happen? Enjoy

Not a Death Eater

Harry found the next couple of days rather odd. He'd thought after the previous couple of days that Voldemort was returning to his cold, cruel self, but he found as the next few days progressed that the man seemed to be mellowing again somewhat. There was no doubt he hadn't lost his edge, when the death eaters failed him or an enemy was brought before him he was as ruthless as ever, but when it came to his inner circle and Harry he was slowly becoming softer and more mellow again.

Harry had no idea what was going on, but this was the dark lord so he just went with the flow and waited for the moment the man would turn back into his cold self again.

He and Severus were sent on several missions over the coming week, all of them to retrieve abused children that the death eaters had identified. Most of them were relatively easy, the last one however was in a magical village and while the house was at the edge of the village there was bound to be a lot more security and they were far more likely to encounter resistance. They took a lot more death eaters and split into two groups. The first would rescue the child and included Severus, Harry, the Lestrange brothers and two others Harry didn't really know. The second group included the recently released Bellatrix, Crab and Goyle Sr and the Carrows.

The first group were to go in first and head straight for the house. The second group were on standby in case they had any issues and were to create a distraction to help them escape if it was needed. There was a manor at the end of the town where the house was located. It wasn't close to the house, in fact it was a fair way away, but the wards for it reached the end of the village and as such there was no way to approach the house from the back as they had done previously. It meant they had to move through part of the village, which none of them were pleased about, but it had to be done.

They moved silently through the town, dark shapes in the night. Severus had split them into teams of two and for once he hadn't put Harry with himself. He was with Rabastan Lestrange, who he'd never had a lot to do with, but who seemed plenty capable when they were sent on missions together. They were closing in on the house when Harry suddenly felt something he recognised. It was one of Bill Weasley's wards, not designed to keep people out but to activate something, whether it be an anti apparition ward or a spell. That was when he realised they were walking into a trap and he grabbed Rabastan's arm just before the man touched the ward.

"It's a trap, warn the others!" he whispered urgently. Rabastan immediately pulled up his arm to use the dark mark and warn the rest to pull back, but in that moment someone tripped the wards and anti aparition wards leapt up all around them. Severus' order to retreat was heard by all of them and they pulled back just as order members spilled out of the house, heading straight for them. Harry and Rabastan fired off spells as they pulled back and for a moment it seemed that they'd be okay. Then Harry saw Dumbledore come out of the house and Harry's heart sank, their escape had become a lot more difficult now. The man thankfully seemed surprised to see someone as young as Harry within their ranks and that made him pause, which allowed Harry to fire off a smoke spell to cover their escape.

He and Rabastan fled toward the edge of the village where a wooded would provide some cover for them and they could hopefully reach the end of the anti aparition ward and get away. They'd just passed the tree line when a spell hit Rabastan in the leg, snapping the bone and sending him sprawling into a tree. He went down with a cry and Harry rushed over to help him up.

"What are you doing? Get away from here!" Rabastan snapped as Harry pulled him to his feet.

"I'm not going without you," Harry snapped back.

"We're death eaters, not light wizards, we don't help each other we save ourselves!" Rabastan snapped.

"Well I'm a rebel then aren't I!" Harry snapped back and pulled the limping man further into the forest. They weren't moving fast enough though and Harry could hear the order getting closer to them. Finding a large tree with a hollow in the bottom he pulled Rabastan down into it and whipped his invisibility cloak out, covering them both with it and telling Rabastan to be quiet. Several order members rushed into the woods, scanning the trees for any sign of them.

"Which way did they go?" One Harry didn't recognise asked.

"I don't know, but they can't have gotten far, I know I hit one of them," Kingsley replied. They moved around the area searching high and low, but of course they found nothing as Harry knew they wouldn't. They spread out in search and as soon as they were out of ear shot Harry pulled Rabastan out of the hollow and they set off again, keeping the invisibility cloak around them so they wouldn't be spotted. It was slow going, but Harry managed to avoid all of the order members and when at last he finally felt them pass through the anti aparition ward he sighed in relief. He hid them behind some thick shrubbery and whipped the cloak off them. He stuffed it quickly back in his robes and the two of them apparated back to Slytherin manor, relieved Voldemort had altered the wards to allow them direct entry and he wouldn't have to drag Rabastan much further.

They appeared in Voldemort's main foyer and headed in the direction Harry knew the dark lord had set up a medical wing. As soon as they walked through the door they were greeted by shocked expressions and Rodolphus raced over to support Rabastan and help Harry get him to a bed.

"What happened?" Snape demanded angrily, moving over to Harry and grabbing his shoulders roughly. "You should have been back here more than an hour ago!"

He knew the man was worried for him and it was making him lash out, it didn't change the fact that he was hurting Harry's arms and he grabbed tightly to the potion master's hands with a quiet but demanding, "Let go!"

Severus looked furious but he pulled back, releasing Harry's arms and looking expectantly at him for an answer. "We had just reached the tree line when a spell hit Rabastan. His leg was broken and he couldn't walk alone."

"And you didn't leave him behind?" Rodolphus asked, sounding completely floored by that possibility.

"No I didn't leave him behind!" Harry hissed back angrily. "I don't care how the rest of you work but I don't do that!" he turned his attention back to Severus then. "We couldn't make it to the edge of the ward in time so we had to hide, once the order had moved on we made our way out of the ward and back here!"

Whatever Severus had been about to say never made it past his lips as Voldemort chose that moment to arrive in the room, Lucius right behind him. Harry had known there was something else they were meant to be doing that evening, but the dark lord hadn't given him details and he hadn't pried. Lucius looked quite satisfied, until his eyes took in the room and all the injured people currently occupying it, so things must have gone well on their end.

"What happened?" Voldemort demanded angrily.

"It was a trap," Harry answered immediately. "The order were waiting for us in the house, Dumbledore among them."

If it were possible, Harry was sure there would be steam coming out of the Dark Lord's ears. He shook with fury, his red eyed flashing dangerously. Without a word he yanked Lucius forward, shoved his sleeve up and dug his wand into the blonde's dark mark. Lucius tensed slightly but gave no other outward indication of the burning his arm must be feeling at that moment. It was only a few seconds but everyone in the room waited in fearful silence for what was to come. They were all surprised when Voldemort stalked from the room and Harry followed him, not knowing whether he was supposed to but very aware of the contracts demand that he stay with the man unless specifically ordered away.

The lord reached the manor's foyer at the same time as another man entered the building and before he could even shut the door behind himself the dark lord had shot a curse at him that had him screaming. The next several minutes seemed to stretch on forever as Voldemort released the man from the curse and demanded an explanation as to how he'd gotten his information so wrong. His answer obviously didn't please Voldemort because he was back to torturing the man as soon as he'd finished speaking. When at last he'd decided the man had suffered enough, or he'd just worked out enough anger calm down, he ordered the man out of his manor with a threat of death should he ever fail again and a warning that his actions would be watched closely.

Voldemort turned back toward the medical wing and paused when he saw Harry standing in the doorway. Harry saw the man take a deep breath before approaching him and stopping just an arms length away. "Are you hurt?" The question wasn't what Harry had expected.

"No, My Lord," he replied.

"Was anyone else injured during the battle?"

"Rabastan has a broken leg, I'm not sure about the others though, I hadn't had the chance to ask before you arrived," Harry replied and Voldemort nodded.

"Go back in to the medical wing and have Dimitrov check you over, I will be along shortly," Voldemort ordered and Harry headed back into the medical wing without a word. He didn't like watching people be hurt, but it was a part of his life now and he had to get used to it. He wondered if the man really had betrayed them on purpose or whether he'd received false information, he knew how well Dumbledore could plant information when he tried.

He walked back into the treatment room and found Dimitrov who appeared to be sorting through some potions. He approached the man and informed him that the lord had asked for him to be looked over. Dimirtov was running his wand over Harry when Bellatrix spoke.

"What kind of Death Eater are you?" Harry knew without looking that she was talking to him, but Voldemort's orders not to speak to anyone directly besides the inner circle, unless he was on a mission or had been specifically allowed, still stood, so he chose to ignore her. "A true death eater doesn't stay to help an injured man escape, they get out and save themselves. That kind of pathetic, sentimentality is going to lead to your downfall and everybody else's. You don't deserve to be the Lord's right hand and I will see to it that we are rid of you and I am in your place if it's the last thing I do."

Harry simply glanced over his shoulder at the woman and gave her cold, uncaring look, before turning his attention back to Dimitrov. This enraged Bellatrix who pulled out her wand and aimed it at him. "I am speaking to you, don't you dare ignore me!"

Harry turned to face her, his wand also out and ready before she fired the first spell. He sent it back at her and a duel ensued. Harry didn't want to be fighting in the medical rooms but he had to defend himself, and besides, this was Bellatrix, he hated her with every fibre of his being. They hadn't been at it long when Voldemort's voice thundered through the room.

"Enough!"

Harry immediately pulled back, re sleeving his wand and bowing to the man. He heard Bellatrix drop to the floor as well as Voldemort moved to stand in front of them, fury flashing through his ruby eyes. "What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded angrily.

"She attacked me, My Lord," Harry replied honestly.

"He is weak, My Lord. He stayed with Rabastan after he was injured rather than escaping," Bellatrix argued. "He is not a true death eater and not worthy of being your right hand!"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "I don't recall asking for your opinion on the matter, Bellatrix."

"I'm only trying to look out for you, My Lord, I do not want you having to rely on someone who isn't strong enough to serve you properly. I could do that job properly, you know I could, I would be a much better choice than him," Bellatrix argued.

"A much better choice, really? As I recall you are the reason Dumbledore is still among the living," Voldemort hissed and the woman cringed. "You are correct I need to be able to rely on my right hand and trust that they know what they're doing. They need to be able to plan missions, carry out orders and direct a team. You hardly know what day it is let alone how to direct anyone else and as for planning missions, well, you ruin other people's, what makes you think I'd ever trust you to plan one of your own?"

"I only want to serve you, My Lord," Bellatrix whimpered pathetically from her spot on the floor at Voldemort's feet.

"And yet you defy me at every turn,"Voldemort growled.

"No, never!"

A very angry crucio had Bellatrix screaming and clawing at the floor for several minutes.

"I made it perfectly clear, on the night he was introduced to you all, that I would not tolerate anyone targeting my right hand or trying to undermine his position in order to claim it themselves!" Voldemort yelled, his anger causing his magic to spark dangerously around him. "There was no way even you could mistake my instructions and yet you still took it upon yourself to do exactly what I told you not to! That is twice now you have defied me, Bellatrix and I am growing very weary of your insolence!"

Bellatrix huddled on the floor quietly whining for several moments before she dared speak again. "I'm deeply sorry, My Lord, I swear it will never happen again," she whimpered.

"See that it doesn't, Bellatrix, because if you ever defy one of my orders, or betray me again, I will throw you in the dungeon and torture you until you're in far worse shape than the recently departed Umbridge. Am I clear?"

"Yes, My Lord," Bellatrix whimpered and Voldemort threw one last crucio at her before gliding from the room.

"Come along, pet," he called as he reached the door and Harry moved to follow him, wishing he could give the woman still cowering on the floor a good kick as he passed her. He would see that she met her end one way or another if it was the last thing he did. He would avenge Sirius' death, he promised himself that.

XX

The following morning was a quiet one in the manor. Voldemort's temper was still simmering just below the surface and all the death eaters in residence were wary of being the cause of it erupting once more. When breakfast was over Draco left as quickly as propriety allowed to get to his healing lessons with Dimitrov and Harry envied him his ability to escape, although he was glad to see at least one of his friends out of harms way. Lucius arrived shortly after and he, along with Severus and Harry, left the room with Voldemort for their usual morning planning meeting.

When they reached the room they waited for Voldemort to choose a chair before choosing their own. He ordered the house elf to bring them coffee and once it had arrived and they all had a cup he sat back and stared at the cup in what seemed to be silent contemplation. No one spoke, they waited for him to begin the conversation and as the silence stretched on Harry became more and more nervous. It took every ounce of self control he possessed not to fidget.

After what felt like forever he finally spoke. "Jethrow can no longer be trusted. Lucius, I want a close eye kept on him and all of his information double and triple checked from now on, is that understood?"

"Yes, My Lord," Lucius agreed immediately.

"If you find any hint of treachery from him I want it reported immediately."

"Yes, My Lord," Lucius agreed again.

"Good. Now if he isn't a traitor that means we either have one in our midst or our plans have become too obvious to the order. For the next little while we will plan our moves and only go ahead with our more covert operations. Lucius, you will see that these continue," he commanded quietly.

"Of course, My Lord."

"Any other plans we make will be kept between the four of us until they are put into action, understood?"

"Yes, My Lord," Harry, Severus and Lucius agreed in tandem.

"Good." The room lapsed back into silence and when at last Voldemort spoke again his words surprised Harry greatly.

"That is all for today, you are all dismissed," he ordered, his eyes still never leaving his cup. Harry exchanged surprised looks with the other men in the room before Lucius and Severus rose and bowed to Voldemort, bidding him a good day before leaving the room. Harry rose as well, but lingered in the room after the other two had departed.

"Are you sure there is nothing more I can do for you today, My Lord?" he asked and Voldemort's gaze rose to meet his. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again and returned his eyes to his coffee.

"No, Harry, that will be all."

"All right, have a good day, My Lord," he replied, bowing politely to the man and leaving the room. Severus was waiting for him out in the hall way and he motioned for Harry to follow him down to the library.. When they arrived he pulled the door closed and pulled Harry into a tight hug.

"I am sorry I was harsh upon your return last night," the man said softly.

"It's all right, I know you were just worried," Harry replied hugging him back. "I'm sorry I was rude back to you, but I'm sure you know why."

"I do. I'm glad you were unharmed."

"You too. Did you feel Bill's ward before you walked through it?" Harry asked.

"I did indeed."

"I told Rabastan to warn the rest of you, but I guess the warning didn't get through in time."

"No the Carrows were a little ahead of themselves," Severus explained. "Both were injured but managed to get out alive."

"That's good, at least," Harry replied and pulled back from the man. "The Lord has been acting … strange," he stated, hoping Severus might be able to offer some insight.

"Yes, more like his old self," Severus agreed. "Not quite as bad though I have noticed. Neither Lucius or I have any idea what has brought on two such abrupt changes of behaviour. He was fine when we spoke that afternoon he gave Lucius the potion, he was very pleasant in fact. By the time we arrived for dinner we all knew something had changed, but not why."

"Do you think it has anything to do with the healing liquid?" Harry asked.

"It is always a possibility. Perhaps such an abrupt change of mental state was too much for the Lord to handle," Severus suggested.

"Maybe," Harry agreed.

"So what are your plans for the remainder of the day?"

"Meditate and probably study a little. What about you?"

"Brew and prepare for the new school year," Severus replied. "Perhaps after lunch I could assist you with your studies," he offered.

"That would be great," Harry accepted gratefully. "Defence against the dark arts seems to come rather naturally to me, the dark arts themselves not so much."

"They do take time to master. Meet me back here after lunch and we'll go over some of the things you are having difficulty with."

"I will, thank you," Harry agreed with a smile.

They left the library together and Harry bid Severus a good morning brewing as they split off in separate directions. He was heading to his room to meditate, not wanting another incident like last time in the garden, when he ran across Nagini.

"Good morning, hatchling," she greeted him pleasantly.

"Good morning, Nagini," he returned her greeting politely. "Been out hunting?"

"I have indeed, the mice were plentiful this morning," she replied happily. "Where are you headed?"

"Back to my room to meditate," he replied. "The Lord gave us the day free so I figured I'd use it well."

"Why not the garden?" she asked curiously. "The sun is lovely and warm today."

"I considered it," Harry told her. "But I really don't want another nosy interruption."

"Tom has warded the garden now, there will be no more interruptions," Nagini informed him.

"That's his private garden though. I didn't know that the first time of I wouldn't have gone in there."

"He will not protest your presence," Nagini assured him. "He has keyed the wards to allow you entry as well as myself, Draco, Severus and Lucius."

"It doesn't mean he's okay with us being there without him," Harry argued.

"He is," she told him assuredly. "He told me. Why don't you go on down there and enjoy the morning. I am going to see Tom and then I was planning to spend the day out there. I would enjoy your company."

"All right," he agreed, happy to be getting out of the manor during daylight hours. "I'll see you down there."

She gave him a happy hiss and headed on up the corridor. Harry shook his head and headed for the garden. It was hard to believe he found her so scary once upon a time.

XX

When Nagini arrived in Voldemort's parlour she found him brooding in one of the lounge chairs. She was used to his brooding behaviour after all the years they'd been together, it didn't mean she liked it though. She slithered up onto his lap and raised her head up to meed his gaze.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently.

"I like the darkness too much," he told her cryptically.

"You've always liked the darkness, Tom, why is this now a problem?" she asked, confused.

"Because Harry is not of the dark."

Ah, they were back to Harry then. "What happened?" Nagini asked patiently.

"That idiot Jethrow gave us incorrect information about the raid last night, Harry, Severus and the team they took with them were almost captured in a trap," Tom explained.

"They are all right though?" Nagini asked worriedly.

"They are fine, now. Some sustained minor injuries but nothing more. It was what happened after that is the real issue." Nagini waited patiently for him to continue. "I called Jethrow here, and of course I was so angry that I tortured the man to within an inch of his sanity before I finally regained enough control to let him go with a harsh warning."

That all sounded pretty standard to Nagini, so obviously more must be coming.

"When I turned to go back into the hospital wing and check on Harry and the others, I found him standing in the doorway watching me. He didn't say anything, but I know how badly my actions bothered him." He paused and scrubbed at his face with his hands. "This is who I am, Nagini, even if I manage to soften enough to allow myself to care about others I will still have my temper, I will still enjoy hurting people who defy me or betray me, I don't think anything will change that, and Harry … he'll never care for me while I am this way. The more I think about it the more it hurts and the more I feel the darkness in my personality returning. It'll become completely dominant again soon, I can feel it, and I'll let it happen, because without it I have no defence against these retched feelings!"

"What about your friends, aren't they enough to keep you somewhat in the light?" Nagini asked worriedly.

"I don't think they are, Nagini, not anymore. I never wanted to feel this way for Harry but I do. I can't even understand the feeling properly let alone deal with it or act on it. All I know is the thought of Harry never feeling the same for me just … it's such a black, depressing feeling. He is all light, bright and beautiful and if he were with me I could see myself turning to at least a dark grey rather than the awful black that I am. But honestly I'd probably just smother his light … that's what I'm good at."

Nagini sighed and leant up to nuzzle his face. "You know I'll always love you, Tom, you're not all black to me. I've always been able to see a small slither of light inside you and I hoped that one day you'd find the right catalyst to help it burn brighter again. Now Harry is here and whatever you might think I know he'd be able to help you bring that light back again. I know you are capable of caring for others, and I'm sure, if you tried, Harry would see it too. You're not as different as you think you are, you said yourself just the other night that there were many similarities between you. Maybe if you focused on them rather than your differences you'd find a way to feel some hope again."

Tom looked back at her sadly. "I love you too," he said with a sad smile. "This morning when I dismissed the others Harry stayed back and asked if I needed anything. I wanted so badly to ask him to just sit with me for a while, to just stay close to me. When we're together and nothing terrible is happening I feel so much better about everything."

"Then tell him, Tom," Nagini said.

"I can't. I wouldn't know how."

"Then I suggest you find a way, because if you don't tell him, I will!" Nagini said decisively.

Tom looked at her wide-eyed. "You can't!" he protested.

"I most certainly can. And if it means helping you get better I will. In fact I am going down to join Harry in the garden for some meditation right now, I think it would be the perfect opportunity," she move to slither down from his lap, but he wrapped his arms around her and halted her escape.

"I'm not ready for him to know yet, love," he said softly and Nagini sighed.

"Fine, I will give you a little while longer before I say anything. But I will Tom, have no doubt about it. You need to do something and it has to be soon or it will be too late," she warned him.

"I know," he agreed quietly.

"All right, I'm going down to the garden to join Harry. You should come along too, meditation would be a lot better for you than brooding." She slithered off his lap and out of the room, hoping her tough love wouldn't blow up in her face. She knew Tom needed to be nurtured, he had since she'd met him, but at some point she had to be a little tougher on him or he'd never progress past the point he was at.

XX

Harry had reached the doorway to the garden when a voice called out from behind him. He turned to find Rodolphus running to catch up with him and he paused to see what the other man wanted, his hand resting softly over the clasp that held his wand to his wrist. If the man wanted to get revenge on him for Bellatrix he'd better be ready.

"Wow you walk fast!" the man exclaimed as he came to a stop in front of Harry. Honestly Harry didn't think he was but he must have been. "My brother's been trying to catch you all day. I'm sure you're busy, but could you wait just a minute for him to catch up, he's not far behind me?"

"Sure," Harry replied, glad Voldemort had given him permission to speak to at least a few of the death eaters outside the inner circle. It was only a select few, but Rodolphus and Rabastan were among the few as were Draco and Dimitrov. Bellatrix hadn't made the cut and that suited Harry just fine.

Rodolphus hobbled around the corner a few moments later and approached Harry as quickly as his crutched hopping would allow.

"I didn't realise you'd been looking for me or I would have come to find you and saved you the energy," Harry said apologetically, feeling sorry for the hobbling man. "How is your leg anyway?"

"Better," Rabastan replied, stopping beside his brother. "I'll only need the cast for a couple of days and then it can come off."

"I'm sure that will be a relief," Harry said sympathetically, he remembered all too well what it was like to have a limb be unusable.

"It definitely will," the man agreed. "Anyway, the reason I was looking for you was to say thank you. You didn't have to help me escape last night, but you did and I know perfectly well that your actions saved my life. We are pure blooded as I'm sure you know, just as I'm sure you know that I am now indebted to you. Should you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Well, Harry hadn't expected that. Both men looked incredibly serious at that moment and wanting to dispel some of the somber mood he said, "I don't suppose you could poison Bellatrix for me? That's all I really need at the moment."

The two men looked at him surprised for several moments before their expressions became thoughtful and Harry realised in alarm that they were actually thinking about how to do it.

"I was kidding," he said, before they could get too involved in the thought process. "I mean, I hate the woman with every fibre of my being, but I don't think the lord would be too pleased with you if you killed her. Besides if anyone is going to kill her, aside from the lord of course, it's going to be me, and I'd never seriously ask you to kill your sister in law."

"Why not? We'd do it," Rabastan replied matter-of-factly.

There was another thing Harry hadn't expected them to say. "Seriously?"

"She and I are an arranged marriage," Rodolphous explained. "And thanks to pure blood bloody customs I can't get out of it unless she dies. I had thought about killing her in the past but she's not let me near her undefended in a long time. You're right as well of course, I doubt the lord would be impressed with us if we killed her."

Harry shook his head, the poor guy. "You have my sympathies."

"Thanks," he replied grimly.

"Well we'll leave you alone. Thanks again, and like I said anything you need, you know where to find me," Rabastan reminded him with a smile.

"I appreciate the offer. If I think of anything I'll let you know, but I didn't help you in order to incur your debt," he assured the man.

"I know you didn't, and that worries me about you more than a little," Rabastan replied with a joking smile. "See you later." The brothers disappeared down the hall and Harry watched them go with a smile. Well, at least he knew those two wouldn't cause him any trouble, too bad he couldn't say the same about Bellatrix.

Brushing those thoughts aside he headed out of the door and into the garden, looking forward to a few hours of quiet meditation.

He settled in his spot under the tree and closed his eyes, journeying inward. He'd just reached his inner core when Nagini slithered up into his lap. He stroked her scales in motion with the circles he was making in his mind. Her hiss of pleasure sounded far away, everything seemed far away right now, the war, Dumbledore, his future, all of it, and it was lovely.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been floating around inside his mind when he became aware of another presence in the garden. After a minute he recognised it as the dark lord and paused momentarily, waiting to see if the man would speak. When no words were forthcoming he figured the man didn't want him for anything and went back to the leisurely laps he was taking around his mind.

It was surprising but the man's presence didn't bother him at all, in fact it was quite the opposite. He barely felt the Lord's presence and all he did feel was the soft vibration of his magical energy. Usually when someone approached him during a meditation it broke his focus and he was immediately on high alert. Maybe it was because of the contract, or maybe it was because he was in the man's presence so often these days that it was just normal for his energy to be there.

It was such an odd thing to imagine and had he told himself, even the first night into his service to the man, that he was going to be comfortable enough in Voldemort's

presence to barely notice it, he would have sworn his future self was nuts. Thoughts of the man flashed into his mind, dancing around the outside of his core and showing him images of all the time they'd spent together so far. He'd always known the man was frightening when he wanted to be, that was nothing unexpected, there was also kindness there though, toward Harry and others, and that did surprise him.

There had been other unexpected moments as well, moments where Harry had felt things he'd never imagined feeling for the other man and times where it almost seemed as if the man felt those things toward him as well. That was crazy though, right? This was the Dark Lord, he was Harry Potter, the man wanted him dead because of the prophecy, that wasn't going to change just because Harry served him now. He sighed internally, surprised to notice that he felt … disappointed at the idea of the man not feeling that way for him.

He tried to push it aside but his mind had other plans and suddenly, out of nowhere, images of Harry and Voldemort cuddling, kissing and doing … other things flew through the quiet place he was currently occupying. Seeing them did funny things to his mind, not to mention his body and he snapped himself out of the meditation as quickly as possible. He opened his eyes to find Voldemort sitting on a bench not far from the tree, watching him.

He fought back the threatening blush and buried the mental images as deep in his mind as he could. It was never going to happen, NEVER!

"Are you all right, Harry?" Voldemort asked and Harry was wondering if maybe he hadn't fought the blush off well enough when the lord continued, "I didn't disturb you did I?" The man almost sounded concerned? Goodness, his mood swings were giving Harry serious whiplash.

"No, My Lord, not at all," he replied honestly. It wasn't Voldemort's fault his brain had gone psycho.

"Were you aware of my presence?" the man asked curiously.

"Yes, I felt you enter the garden," he replied and silently cursed his own choice of words.

"But it did not bother you?" Now Voldemort sounded surprised.

"No. Should it have?" Harry asked, wondering where the surprise had come from.

"I am aware that my magic and my presence aren't the most … soothing and I know you feel my approach and presence much more intensely than anyone else. I would have thought it would interrupt your mental peace," Voldemort explained his reasoning with a small frown.

"Oh. Well no, it didn't bother me. You're right I am very … aware of you when you're close by and I can feel you approaching from quite a way away most of the time, but your presence doesn't disturb me. It actually doesn't bother me in the least, which is kind of odd really since I'm always hyper aware of people approaching when I'm meditating and can only do it around a very small number of people," Harry explained, still pondering why that is. "I thought perhaps it was because I'm around you all the time now, your presence has just become the norm for me. The only person I have been in this close a vicinity to for any length of time was Ron, but his presence still bothered me during meditation. Maybe deep down I knew he was betraying me," he finished thoughtfully.

He shook off the gloominess that threatened at the thought of his traitorous friend and considered the dark lord for a moment. "Like I said the other night there's no pretence with you, I know where I stand, maybe that's why … I honestly don't know. Do you meditate?" he asked wanting to change the subject

Voldemort appeared to have been pondering something himself, but he snapped out of it and replied, "Not for a long time and not at all since my rebirth. I found I could never quiet my mind sufficiently, there was always too much going on up there."

"I guess that's what happens when you're in charge of so many people and you have so many plans to sort and prepare for," Harry said understandingly. "Have you thought about taking it up again? It's supposed to be very good for you."

"I had not. But perhaps it would be beneficial."

"It's worth a try and you've got the perfect place to do it," Harry said, motioning to the garden around him. "Particularly now that you've warded it against intrusion."

"You noticed the wards did you? How did you know they'd let you in?" Voldemort asked.

"Nagini told me this morning," Harry explained. "I was going to go to my room to meditate, I didn't really want another run in like last time I was out here. I ran into her on my way to my room and she told me to come out here and that it had been warded so only certain people could enter it. It is okay that I'm in here isn't it?" he asked worriedly. "She said it was and I figured she'd know."

"It's fine," Voldemort told him with a dismissive wave of his hand. He studied Harry's position on the ground. "Is it comfortable down there?"

"It is actually. This tree seems to have the perfect trunk to lean against and the breeze is perfect. Why don't you come down here and see for yourself?" he suggested.

He's expected the man to say no so when he rose from the chair and approached, Harry was a little shocked. Voldemort sat down beside him, resting his back against the tree and took a deep breath. He sat quietly for several moments, then Harry saw him smile. "You're right, it's is comfortable down here."

Harry stared at the man, transfixed. He'd seen the Dark Lord smile before but not like this. This was a calm, content smile and it made him look so relaxed, like when he was sleeping. It altered his whole face, and while that was always attractive, Harry found the way it looked right now even more beautiful.

As if noticing he had Harry's attention Voldemort turned to look at him with a curious expression. "Something wrong?"

"No," Harry replied with a shake of his head, pushing the images that had jumped into his head during his meditation and were now trying to take over his attention back into the mental cupboard he'd stuffed them in earlier. "I've just never seen you smile like that. You look really at peace," he said honestly.

Voldemort looked contemplative for a moment, then he turned that lovely smile onto Harry. "I suppose I am," he said quietly and Harry was startled by the expression in his ruby eyes. It looked almost … affectionate? But surely the Dark Lord would never look at him that way.

Feeling a blush rising in his cheeks Harry quickly averted his gaze, "So, are you going to give meditating a try since you're out here and comfortable?" he asked.

"I think I will," Voldemort replied, and Harry was positive he heard amusement in the man's voice.

"Would you like me to leave you in peace?" Harry asked, not wanting to step on his toes.

"No, you may stay," Voldemort replied, and though it wasn't worded as one, Harry was almost positive that it had been an order.

He settled himself against the tree and closed his eyes, figuring that he may as well attempt some more meditation himself. He was surprised how quickly he reached his core this time, but attributed it to the fact that he'd already paved the way with his earlier meditation. At one point he felt a cool touch on his hand, but attributing it to Nagini, who as still resting in his lap, he thought nothing more of it.

XX

A bit more character growth for Voldy and the Lestrange brothers owing Harry a favour. He wouldn't leave someone behind, it's not his way and it wasn't going to happen. And Harry is starting to have feelings too, where will they lead? More as soon as I have internet again. PPPLLLEEEAASSEE review, they make me so happy :)


	10. Chapter 10

Hello! OMG it's been so long, sorry for that. We're in our new house now and still don't have internet, I have however learnt how to hot spot my Ipad and even though I am spending a ton on extra data I'm living with it. For those who are Dr Who fans my husband is currently painting our bedroom and the feature wall and ceiling are going to be TARDIS blue! We're also going to paint the french doors to our room to look like the TARDIS, there's going to be a light at the tip and everything, I'm soooo excited! WHat a happy nerd I am. I'm sick at the moment and my lovely mother has taken my beautiful little angel for a while today to give me a chance to rest a little so I'm paying it forward by giving you all a new chapter. And as it's been so long this chapter is a looooooong one. I hope you like it, we're going to hear a bit about the order's plans this time and there will be a character coming into play that I think a lot of you will enjoy seeing. Anyway I'm done chatting now, enjoy and please review xxoo

Join Me

Harry spent the afternoon in the library with Severus, learning what he could about dark magic. That evening when they were about to head to dinner, Lissy appeared and told them they were to go to the private dining room instead. They shared a curious look before making their way down there together. They arrived to find the table laid out with a lovely meal. All three of the Malfoys were present as well as Voldemort who greeted them both with a smile.

"Good you are here. I decided I wanted to have a more intimate dinner this evening with my inner circle, hence the change of location. Come and sit," he ordered, motioning to the chairs on either side of him that had been left free. Harry was a little nervous about the Lord's sudden good mood and he could tell Severus was too. As it turned out however dinner was a rather comfortable and enjoyable affair. Voldemort asked Draco about his training and spoke to Lucius at great length about the ministry and their plans. Harry had been worried that his good mood was a cover for a very bad one, or because he was planning to do something mean to one or all of them; but it turned out that the man was just in a good mood.

When dinner was over the group retired to the parlour for coffee. Harry sat between Severus and Voldemort, enjoying how happy everyone appeared to be. A few minutes into their coffee the Dark Lord was called out to speak to a death eater in the hallway leaving Harry, Severus and the Malfoys to talk on their own for a while. Severus was conversing with the Malfoys while Harry was happy to sit and watch them all interact like long lost friends, which in a lot of ways he supposed they were.

Nagini slithered up to him after a minute and he smiled as she asked to join him on the couch. He agreed amicably and she slithered her way up into his lap, winding her upper body around his torso and resting her face on his left shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. He felt her tongue dart out and tickle his neck and he chuckled, reaching up to stroke her head.

"Comfortable?" he hissed quietly to her.

"Yes," she replied simply and he couldn't help but chuckle at her again.

He suddenly noticed that the room had grown very silent and he looked over at the other occupants to find them watching him with expressions that mixed bewilderment, shock and startled nervousness.

"What?" he asked.

Narcissa opened her mouth to say something, even reaching out her hand toward him for a moment before pulling it back into her lap and replying with, "Nothing."

"She doesn't do that," Severus explained, motioning to Nagini.

"Oh," Harry replied, understanding their shock now. "Yes, the Dark Lord did say it was surprising. She just likes me," he explained.

The rest of the group just stared at him blinking for several moments before Draco asked, "Doesn't she frighten you?"

Harry shook his head, "No, not at all. Why should she, she's never harmed me?" he asked in return.

"You've obviously never seen her attack someone," Lucius stated simply.

"On the contrary she and I had a run in with a very unpleasant man one afternoon while we were out meditating in the garden. He came off second best," Harry explained simply.

"And you don't find her at all frightening after that?" Narcissa asked.

"No, she wasn't attacking me," Harry replied honestly. "Why are you so afraid of her? Has she ever attacked you?" he asked.

"Well, no, but she doesn't seem to have any pattern to who she attacks. She just kind of seems to snap every once in a while and eat people, or kill them," Narcissa explained.

Harry looked down at Nagini and asked her if she killed people for no reason. She replied back no, that she only killed people who'd done something to her or Tom, it just took her a while to get to them sometimes. Harry relayed that back to the group who looked back at him surprised.

Nagini hissed something else to him and he leant down to hear her properly. When she was done he looked back up at the group and told them, "She said she wouldn't bite any of you anyway. Apparently Severus tastes too much like his potions ingredients and …" he trailed off and asked Nagini to repeat the last part of her sentence, sure he'd heard her wrong. He looked at her puzzled after she'd repeated it and the group sitting across from him asked him what was wrong.

"She's trying to describe something to me, but I'm not sure what it is. Brown and furry on the outside with milky white stuff on the inside … Oh wait, are you talking about a coconut?" he hissed the last part to the snake. She told him she didn't know what a coconut was and he waved his wand, bringing up an image of a coconut in front of them. Nagini hissed and reared back from it, telling him yes, that was what she was describing.

Harry was doing his best to hold back laughter as he vanished the image and Nagini settled herself on his shoulder once more.

"What, what did she say?" Draco asked curiously.

It took Harry a couple of goes before he could answer without his giggling fit getting in the way, but finally he managed to explain. "She said she wouldn't bite any of you three because apparently blonde people taste like coconut and she hates coconut."

The group of them just stared back at him for several moments before they burst out laughing, even Severus who covered his face with his hands and laughed silently behind them. Harry joined in and Nagini looked around at them all before declaring in a hiss that humans were weird and settling back down on his shoulder.

They were still laughing when the Dark Lord returned to the room shortly after. Unbeknownst to them he stood in the doorway for several moments, watching them enjoy themselves with a fond expression on his face.

When at last he made his presence known the group tried to calm their giggles, but weren't overly successful. "Oh don't stop enjoying yourselves on my account," the man said with a wave of his hand. "What's got you all laughing anyway?" he asked, calling Lissy to bring a fresh pot of coffee and tea along with desert.

"Apparently blonde people taste like coconut," Harry replied matter-of-factly, prompting quiet laughter to emerge from the rest of the group once more. "Did you know that?" he asked.

Voldamort studied him quizzically for several moments. "I did not. However I am not in the habit of eating people to find out." He spotted Nagini then, snuggled up to Harry, and his face took on that fond look again. "I think I'm starting to feel a little unloved," he said, moving over to the couch to sit down beside Harry. He reached out to stroke the snake's head and hissed. "Do I get some attention too or have I been replaced?"

Nagini looked up at him through sleepy eyes and slithered over to wrap around his shoulders, much like she'd done with Harry, resting her head on the left and snuggling into his neck. She kept her body around Harry's though and the rest of her in his lap. Voldemort chuckled at her chosen placement and relaxed back against the couch, stroking her head gently. His body was very close to Harry's as Nagini hadn't given him much room to move, which of course had been her plan.

Harry was very aware of the body beside his and did his best not to dwell on how nice it actually felt. He stroked Nagini instead and turned his focus to the desert and tea when it arrived. The group fell into a comfortable discussion over their food, even though the Malfoys and Severus looked shocked at the Dark Lord's relaxed behaviour and even more shocked when he laughed along with them when someone made a joke about something.

When dessert was over Voldamort turned serious and Harry saw the rest of the room's occupants tense slightly as he began to speak. "Now that I'm starting to feel like myself again, something I'd almost forgotten how to feel, I intend to reinstate my inner circle of death eaters as I did when the group were first conceived. The five of you will be the beginning of that inner circle and as such I need to know I can trust you beyond all others. As I determine the skills and usefulness of the rest of my death eaters I will decide if I wish to add anymore, until then it will just be you and I want you all to learn to trust and rely on each other. To that end I feel it only fair that you all know the identity of my right hand, although I know Severus is already aware and I have a feeling Draco too has worked it out, am I correct Draco?" he asked, turning to study they blonde.

"I believe so, My Lord," Draco replied.

Voldemort nodded. "Would you like to share the news with your parents?" he asked.

"If you wish, My Lord," Draco replied and turned to his parents. "It's Harry Potter," he said simply and Harry would be lying if he said the looks on the elder Malfoy's faces didn't amuse him.

Voldemort pulled the mask away from Harry's face and he felt almost naked without it on. At the same time though it was quite freeing.

"My Lord, how do you know you can trust him?" Lucius asked, looking incredulously from the Dark Lord, to Harry and back again.

"Draco, would you like to tell your parents what you, Severus and Harry were doing last year?" Voldemort asked.

The Malfoy parents turned to look at Draco with wide, surprised eyes and he replied, "We were working on finding a way to kill Dumbledore, and we would have succeeded if Aunt Bella hadn't showed up,' he replied honestly.

"Why were we not told about this?" Lucius asked.

"I couldn't exactly tell you much last year, father," Draco replied quietly and Lucius looked away, obviously not comfortable with thinking about why. "And mother had enough to worry about, I didn't want to burden her further. Besides, I had Severus helping me and Harry, we were doing fine right up until the end."

Lucius remained silent, his expression showing that he was bothered by the whole thing, but most likely not wanting to discuss it while they were in company.

"Despite this, Harry and I have a magical contract where betrayal from either of our ends will mean death," Voldemort explained. "He is loyal and in fact is the most trustworthy person around me at the moment as the contract keeps him from disobeying or betraying me. None of my other death eaters can say the same, including all of you," he said pointedly. "Still, despite all of that I have never doubted the loyalty of yourself, Narcissa or Draco. I was concerned about Severus for a while there, but we have resolved that and I know I can trust him. So now I ask you, can I trust you Lucius, Narcissa?" he looked at them both in turn.

"Of course, My Lord," Lucius agreed immediately, a sentiment Narcissa echoed.

"Good, because I want to be able to. You are my friends and I value that. Now, Draco, I have a further question for you, something I've been curious about since I first saw you but wanted to mull over a little longer before I broached the subject with you."

Draco looked surprised, "What is it, My Lord?" he asked.

"You're wearing a peculiar talisman around your neck. Something made for you if I'm not mistaken and by a young lady if I had to guess, am I correct?" he asked.

Draco blushed slightly but nodded, "Yes, My Lord," he replied softly.

Voldemort nodded. "That young girl has put a lot of energy into that talisman, young man, were you aware of that?" he asked.

"Well, I know she made it-"

"That's not the energy I'm talking about, Draco, I mean magical energy. It's vibrating so subtly that I could barely sense it, which I guess was probably the point, but it is powerful, very powerful," Voldemort explained, prompting Draco to pull the necklace, which was a long, silver chain with a collection of moonstones, rose quartz, seashells and thin white ribbon hanging from it, out from beneath his shirt. Everyone in the room leant closer to examine it, including Harry, even though he'd seen it before. He'd known there was something about it that was different, but he hadn't been able to work out exactly what that was until now. It was a low vibration of magical energy.

"What would it do?" Draco asked.

"I couldn't be sure without testing it, but if I had to guess I'd say it's a defensive talisman," Voldemort replied. "Has anyone tried to attack you since she gave it to you?" he asked.

Draco thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't believe so, My Lord, no."

"Well, duelling will be part of your training while you are here, perhaps we will discover its true nature during practice," The Dark Lord replied thoughtfully. "Either way it is a powerful talisman made by a powerful witch, who I'm guessing holds far more than a passing affection for you, Draco, and from the looks on your parents' faces I am guessing this is something else they are unaware of, am I correct?" he asked.

"Yes, My Lord," Draco replied, looking down at his necklace.

"Are her feelings one sided, young one?" Voldemort asked.

"No, My Lord," Draco replied, still not looking up.

Voldemort nodded before turning his attention to Severus and Harry. "Are you two aware of who the young lady is?"

"Yes, My Lord," they replied together.

"I thought you might be. Is she as strong as this talisman suggests she is?" he asked.

"She is, My Lord, although she's not the kind of witch to make her power known to others," Harry replied.

"And what is she like, since it seems Draco may need a little help describing the young lady to his parents right now?" he asked.

"Beautiful," Harry replied immediately. "Kind, loyal, quiet, unassuming, pure-blooded," he added, with a look over to the Malfoy parents. "She's a very powerful ward breaker, a talent she inherited from her father, but no one knows he has it. She's also gifted with divination, transfiguration and defensive magic. She was the first in the group of kids I was teaching DADA to in fifth year to produce a full body patronus and was by far the best dueller in the club aside from myself."

"Is she a Slytherin?" Voldemort asked.

"A Ravenclaw," Harry replied.

"A raven is she? Ravenclaws are very well respected witches and wizards," Voldemort replied thoughtfully.

"Why did you not tell us about her, Draco?" Narcissa asked softly.

"Because you wouldn't approve of my choice," Draco replied simply.

"From the sounds of her we definitely would have," Narcissa disagreed.

"Her gifts and talents are not known by many," Severus spoke directly to Narcissa. "I, and many others, dismissed her very early on in her studies as she didn't seem interested in doing anything but staring out the window. However, unbeknownst to us she took in everything we tried to teach her and receives straight O's in all her studies. As Draco has said however, I doubt you would be approving of his choice."

Lucius looked at Draco with a worried expression, "It's not that Weasley girl is it?" he asked and Draco immediately shot his father a disgusted glare.

"No!" he denied vehemently, and Harry was unsurprised to see the man relax.

"Who is it then?" Narcissa asked.

"Xeno's daughter," Severus replied for the boy and Lucius and Narcissa looked shocked.

"Xenopholis is crazy and so is his daughter!" Lucius demanded.

"Actually you're very wrong there. Xeno isn't crazy, neither of them are, they are both however sensational actors," Harry disagreed.

"I do not believe you. I have known Xenopolis since we were children and he stopped being sane when he was a boy," Lucius argued.

Harry turned to the Dark Lord, "You don't have a pensieve do you?" he asked.

With a raised eyebrow Voldemort lifted his hand and a pensieve bowl floated out of a nearby cupboard and over to Harry. Harry held his wand to his head and concentrated on the memory he wanted to show the Malfoy patriarch. He pulled it from his head and placed it into the bowl before offering the rest of the room's occupants the change to view.

Lucius and Narcissa rose from their chairs and moved over to the bowl. They placed their heads in the bowl along with Voldemort only to return a few minutes later with shocked looks on their faces. Lucius immediately moved back over to the couch and sunk down onto cushions he'd previously been occupying, Narcissa following slowly after. Draco was watching them cautiously as they seemed to take in what they'd seen and Harry turned to find the Dark Lord deep in thought.

He floated the bowl back over to Harry so he could retrieve his memory before sending it back to the cupboard it had come from. After a few moments he asked, "Do you think she'd join us?"

Severus, Harry and Draco all looked up surprised before exchanging questioning looks. "I actually think she would if given the choice," Harry replied eventually.

"Shall we pose the question to her then?" Voldemort asked.

"I'd be happy to, it I knew where she was now," Draco replied. "Have any of you seen her since school finished for the year?"

"Only once," Harry replied, "I don't know where she is now."

"Nor do I," Severus replied thoughtfully. "I do know where their house is though, I could always go and see if she's there at the moment," he offered.

"Tomorrow would be satisfactory, Severus," Voldemort replied before turning back to address the group. "Well, this has been a productive evening," he stated, shifting his attention to the Malfoys. "Will you be returning to your manor this evening or remaining here?" he asked.

"We shall remain here if it is all right with you, My Lord," Lucius replied. "I think we need to have a rather long discussion with Draco."

"As you wish. I will have Lissy make up the room next to Draco's for you. For now I am off to bed. I will see you all in the morning at breakfast, 7 sharp," he ordered, hissing to Nagini that he was going to bed before turning to look at Harry. "What are your plans?" he asked.

"I'll go to bed as well I think," he replied and Voldemort waited for Nagini to slither her way off them and for Harry to stand before bidding the others good night and turning to head out of the room. Harry said good night as well and gave Draco a sympathetic smile and a wave before following after him, Nagini on their heels.

They were silent for most of the walk back through the manor. They had reached their wing before Voldemort broke the silence. "Thank you for your assistance meditating today, I do appreciate it."

"You're welcome, my Lord, although I didn't do a lot," Harry replied, surprised greatly by the thanks. He certainly had never expected to receive any from the dark lord.

"You might be surprised," Voldemort responded cryptically and Harry studied him curiously until they reached the bedroom. When nothing more was forthcoming Harry decided he was just going to have to mull over it himself and asked "Do you require anything further, My Lord?" Pausing just inside the door.

"No, thank you, Harry."

"Very well, good night, My Lord," Harry bid the other man, heading for the door of his room. He walked in and closed the door behind him, changing quickly into pyjamas and taking a seat on his bed. He pulled the small box, where he stored his personal effects, out of the bedside table draw and enlarged it. After the camaraderie of the evening he was really missing Hermione and Remus and he wanted to see them, even if just in photos.

He flicked through the pages for several minutes, trying and failing to push aside the tears that filled his eyes. He really missed his little self created family and the only consolation he had was that what he was doing would hopefully spare their lives and allow them to live on happily after he as gone. He stared at the pages for over an hour before closing the album and placing it into his bedside table draw, not bothering to put it back into the box first. Voldemort knew he had people he cared for, what did it matter if the other man saw the album.

His heart was heavy as he snuffed the candle and slipped down beneath the covers. That night he cried himself to sleep.

XX

It was two weeks later that they were sent out on another mission. This time they weren't retrieving an abused child, but capturing a member of the ministry who was supposed to be in charge of seeking out magical children in the muggle world and seeing to their education about magic. He'd been remiss in his duties and Voldemort wanted him captured and replaced with someone who would take the task more seriously. They had him before the order arrived, unfortunately, in the confusion that followed, the death eaters were scattered. Harry was separated from the group he'd been assigned to and stuck within an anti-apparition ward.

Thankfully he had his cloak with him and he was able to hide from the order and the aurors when they arrived. At first he was angry about this particular turn of events. As he was working on a way to get around the wards however, he overheard a conversation between two of the aurors and suddenly realised what a great position he'd actually found himself in. He moved between the gathered fighters, listening for any pieces of information that may prove useful. Most of it was worthless, just a few little tidbits that Voldemort might like to know. It was when he found Kinsgley and Arthur that his spying proved the most useful.

"Really? The Longbottom boy?" Kingsley asked incredulously.

"Yes, he and Harry were born on the same day, the prophecy could really have been about either of them and you-know-who knew it, that was why he sent Bellatrix after Neville while he went after the Potters," Arthur replied.

"But didn't Harry prove to be the chosen one when he defeated you-know-who the first time?" Kinsgley asked.

"Actually it turns out Harry didn't have a lot to do with that at all. It was his mother's sacrifice that saved him, not anything special about Harry."

"So why didn't Dumbledore tell us all that?" Kingsley asked disbelievingly.

"He still thought it was Harry," Arthur replied. "With Harry gone though he's had to think a little more on the subject and he's realised it could just as well have been Neville, and in fact he's found evidence that it has been all along."

"What evidence?"

"I don't know yet. But it means we still have hope of defeating 'you-know-who'."

"Has he told the Longbottom boy?" Kingsley asked.

"Not yet. We've just moved him to Grimauld place. Dumbledore is going to tell him tomorrow."

"He's going to have his work cut out for him, preparing Longbottom for this mission."

"You're not wrong there. He spent years training Harry and he had a natural talent for duelling. Neville not so much."

Harry didn't wait to hear the rest of the conversation, he moved quickly between the rest of the gathered witches and wizards and sprinted toward the edge of the ward. Anger pulsed through him hot and strong. The damn old coot wanted to use Neville as his lamb for slaughter instead of fighting his own battles, just like he'd tried to use Harry. He had to get to Grimauld place and warn Neville not to trust what he was told. He was a sweet boy, a kind boy and he was stronger than he realised, but there was no way he'd survive a battle with Voldemort. Harry wouldn't let anyone use him like they'd used Harry, he would stop this, even if it meant kidnapping Neville and hiding him in Slytherin manor until the war was over.

He arrived out in front of Grimauld place, his invisibility cloak still wrapped tightly around him. He was pleased to see that the wards still recognised him, but he detected something else in place, almost like an alarm that would alert anybody if he crossed the threshold. This was thankfully where being the heir to the Black family came in handy. He reached out to the magic that lived within the house and had it dismantle the alarm as well as anything else that might be laying in wait to snag him when he stepped inside the building.

When he was sure it was safe to enter he slipped inside, searching the house for Neville. He wanted so badly to slip into Hermione's room and see her and Remus, but if they weren't asleep he'd be caught and he couldn't risk it. He did however duck into his old room where he found Hedwig sitting in her cage. He wrapped a silencing spell around the room and pulled off his cloak, smiling when the owl cooed happily to him. He pulled her out of the cage and stroked her feathers.

"Hello girl," he greeted her, surprised to find tears stinging his eyes. "I've missed you a lot."

She cooed at him and nuzzled into his hand as he continued to stroke her.

"I'm sorry I've been gone so long and I couldn't take you with me, you know I couldn't risk it. I think I've been gone long enough now for them not to connect me to your disappearance so here's what we're going to do. I'm going to do some damage to your door, so the others think you broke it yourself and got out. I want you to fly out the window and wait for me in a tree out there. When I'm finished I'll come down and get you and we'll go back to Slytherin Manor together okay."

She gave him a happy coo, nuzzled his hand one more time and flew out the window to do as she was told. He smiled after her for a moment before setting to work on making it look like she'd broken the cage and got out herself. When he was happy with the effect he canceled the silencing spell on the room and headed out, continuing his search for Neville. He tried all the rooms he knew had been empty and eventually found the other boy, asleep in one of the rooms near the very top of the house. After taking several minutes to mull over how he should best approach the other boy, he eventually pocketed his invisibility cloak and caste a spell on himself that made him appear pale and wispy. When he was happy that he looked sufficiently ghost like he moved over to the side of the bed, cast a silencing spell on the room and called out to Neville.

He knew from memory that Neville wasn't a hugely heavy sleeper and he awoke on the second call of his name. His eyes opened blearily and stared unseeing for a second before bursting open with an expression of shock.

"Harry!" he exclaimed, sitting immediately up in the bed. "You're here! Are you … are you dead?" he asked, changing from happy to sad very quickly.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Harry replied, sad that he was upsetting the other boy.

"Oh," Neville said sadly, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Don't mull over it Neville, it is what it is and I'm in a better place." Which was true, although not in the way Neville would be thinking. "I'm not here to talk about me, I'm here to warn you."

"About what?" Neville asked.

"The prophecy, the one Dumbledore told everyone was about me, you know about it?"

Neville nodded.

"Well you and I were born on the same day as I know you're aware and that's why your parents were attacked the same night mine were killed, which I know you're also aware of."

Neville nodded again.

"Dumbledore used that prophecy as an excuse to make me fight for him. I don't know if it's true at all, but in all honesty I think Trelawney was just spewing out her garbage as she always does and it's a big load of rubbish," Harry explained.

"Trelawney made the prophecy?" Neville asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I had about the same reaction when I heard that too," Harry replied. "Anyway, whether it's true or not Dumbledore has everyone believing it and while I was alive I was among them. I know better now and I wanted to tell you because there's a reason Dumbledore has brought you here."

"What's that?" Neville asked worriedly.

"He's going to try and convince you that you're the chosen one now that I'm gone. He's going to try and convince you that you need to fight Voldemort and you know what? You don't. He's only going to tell you that because he wants a new lamb for slaughter. Don't be that lamb Neville. When he talks to you about the prophecy ask him who made it and tell him you're not convinced. You're a great person, Neville and you don't deserve to die for Dumbledore's selfish little quest. If he wants the Dark Lord gone let him fight the man himself. It's not your job and it certainly wasn't mine. Throwing all that responsibility on a child was just cruel. There was no one to help me stay out of it and help me see the truth of what was happening and I don't want that to happen to you."

"But without us fighting, won't Voldemort win?" Neville asked worriedly.

"Maybe. But being dead I can see a lot more than I use to, and I honestly don't think Dumbledore ruling the world is any better, and he does rule a lot of it, trust me. The old coot has his hands in everything, he's just subtle about it so no one notices. Things have to change. The magical children living with muggles for example, a lot of them are being abused and the ministry has no idea because they're not caring enough. I know, I was one of them and even when it was obvious that I was being mistreated by my relatives nothing was done about it. Trust me, Neville, the ministry and Dumbledore are no better than Voldemort, they just lie more, and honestly, I'd prefer the truth to a sugar coated lie."

"So would I," Neville agreed.

Suddenly Harry felt a strong pull at his magical core and he realised it was the contract reminding him that he'd been away from Voldemort too long. He must have cringed because Neville looked at him worriedly.

"Are you all right, Harry?" he asked worriedly.

Harry smiled. "I'm fine, Nev, it just takes a lot of energy to be here talking to you," he explained. "I have to go now. Take care of yourself, Neville, I'm glad I got to say goodbye to you."

Neville looked at him sadly. "Is there anything you want me to tell the others?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "Don't even tell them you've seen me, you know they won't believe you."

Neville nodded, a tear slipping from his eyes. "Goodbye, Harry."

Harry blinked back tears of his own. "Goodbye, Nev." He spun around on the spot, pulling his invisibility cloak around himself as he did so it looked as if he's just disappeared in a flurry of energy. He slipped out of the door, cancelling the silencing spell as he went and headed out of Grimauld place. He reached the door without encountering anyone and called to Hedwig to follow him as he moved down and street and out of the sight of the house, in case anyone happened to be looking out of the window at that particular moment. As soon as he was sure he wouldn't be spotted he took off his invisibility cloak, hid it in his robes and disapparated back to Slytherin Manor.

When he appeared just outside the grounds he sent Hedwig up to the owlery, not wanting her to be present when he found Voldemort and presented himself. He was positive the Lord wouldn't be happy with him being gone so long and he didn't want Hedwig getting hurt in the man's rage. He sprinted into the manor and straight to the throne room where he was sure Voldemort would be. He rushed through the door and was immediately pounced on by an agitated Dark Lord.

"Where have you been? You didn't come back with the others and I've been looking everywhere for you. Where have you been?" the man yelled, holding him tightly by the arms and shaking him slightly.

"I'm sorry, My Lord," Harry immediately apologised, eyes downcast. "I received information that Dumbledore was intending to train Neville Longbottom up to be the new chosen one and grooming him to fight you. He was telling the order that Neville was the chosen one all along so they'd follow him. I knew that wouldn't be good for the cause and I didn't want Neville to fall into the same trap I'd been in, so I went to him and warned him about Dumbledore and his order."

"You went to where the order are?" Voldemort all but shrieked.

"I'm sorry, My Lord, I know you are angry and you have every right to be. I didn't want the old man to throw another wrench into our plans and I didn't want Neville to be used like I was. I'm sorry, I will never do anything like this again I swear to you, I just had to go. I know I will be punished and I will accept any punishment you wish to bestow, even if that punishment involves harm to me; surely the contract will allow it if I agree willingly. Do as you will to me, My Lord," he finished, still not looking up.

"My Lord, there's something I need-"

"Get out!" Voldemort screamed, cutting off the young death eater who'd entered the room, most likely to report something. He quickly scurried away and before Harry knew it he found himself being pulled from the throne room. His heartbeat raced in his chest as they followed the corridor down to Voldemort's private wing and he feared for what would happen to him when they arrived. Maybe the man would kill him, maybe it was all over now; Voldemort certainly seemed angry enough. He was dragged through Voldemort's room and thrown into his before the door was slammed shut behind him and he heard the lock click into place.

Harry stared at the wood in shock wondering what was going to happen. He winced when he heard the man's angry shout and something smashing in the other room. This continued for several minutes before finally everything became silent on the other side of the door. All Harry could do was wait and see what the Dark Lord was going to do to him.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours and still Harry didn't move, afraid that if he did it would only serve to anger the man further. It was into the early hours of the morning by the time the door opened and Harry looked up to see the Dark Lord, looking far more composed but not completely back to his normal pristine self, standing in the doorway. Harry immediately moved to his knees so he was bowing before the man.

"Have you decided on my punishment, My Lord?" he asked.

Voldemort was silent for several moments, but Harry could feel the man's eyes boring into him.

"Have you moved from this spot since I threw in you here earlier, Harry?" he asked after several long, tense moments.

"No, My Lord," Harry replied.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, surprising Harry greatly.

"No, My Lord," he replied.

"Go and have a shower then and get ready for bed, I'm sure you must be tired," Voldemort ordered.

Harry was stunned speechless for several moments, but managed to pull himself together to reply, "Yes, My Lord." and moved to comply.

He showered quickly and dressed in pyjamas before returning to find the Dark Lord sitting on his bed and staring at the wall, looking very lost in thought. Harry waited in the doorway for several moments, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to go over to the bed if that's not what the man wanted him to do. Eventually Voldemort seemed to snap out of his trance and looked up at Harry.

"Come and lie down, Harry," he directed gently and Harry's heartbeat sped up, expecting the man to punish him once he was in bed so no one would have to carry him back to the room this time. He was surprised when the Dark Lord pulled the blanket back for him, but he slid in as ordered and allowed the man to tuck the blankets around him securely. Harry didn't know what he thought would happen next, but it certainly wasn't for Voldemort to run a hand gently through Harry's hair. "Sleep now," the the Dark Lord directed, his fingers still gliding through Harry's short, spiky locks. "You are safe, no one will harm you."

Harry had to fight not to look up at the man in shock, but somehow he managed it and closed his eyes instead. He'd expected Voldemort to leave but he didn't and as much as Harry knew he should be afraid no one had ever done this to him before and he found it really soothing. Before he knew it he was drifting off to sleep, not even wanting to think that his punishment may still be forthcoming the following morning. He honestly felt far too good to care.

XX

Severus arrived in Harry's room, after the house elf had come to see him and told him he'd been summoned, to find a sight he'd never expected to see. Voldemort was perched on the side of Harry's bed, watching the boy as he slept soundly. He had to fight to keep the surprise out of his expression, as well as his own elation at seeing Harry safe, as he announced his arrival.

"You called for me, My Lord?"

"Severus, yes, there is something I need you to do for me," Voldemort replied without looking away from Harry.

"Of course, My Lord," Severus agreed immediately.

"I need you to answer a question for me. Is there anyone you know of, among Dumbledore's precious order, who care more about Harry than saving muggles and doing the old man's bidding?" he asked.

The answer to that was simple, "I believe there may be one, My Lord," he replied.

"And that would be?" Voldemort asked.

"Remus Lupin," Severus replied.

"The Werewolf?" Voldemort asked, sounding unimpressed.

"The wolf is well controlled with the perfecting of the wolfsbain potion," Severus explained.

"Is the man strong? Powerful? Well versed in duelling and defensive magic?" Voldemort asked.

"I believe so, yes," Severus replied.

"Then bring him here immediately, I need to discuss something of great importance with him," Voldemort ordered.

"Of course, My Lord." Severus bowed and Lissy disaparated him from the room and out into the yard, just outside the anti-apparition wards. He immediately apparated to Grimauld place, hoping for all the world that he wasn't about to place Remus in immeasurable danger. he'd never forgive himself if something happened to the werewolf.

He was pleased to find the wards at Grimauld place still accepted him through after having not been there for a while and he slipped inside searching for Remus. He thankfully didn't have to look far as he found the man's bedroom light on and his door unlocked. He slipped inside and wasn't at all surprised when the werewolf whirled around with his wand drawn and held it out menacingly. He paused and all but dropped the wand entirely as he sighted Severus, staring at him wide eyed.

"Severus," he whispered disbelievingly and immediately moved toward him. His hands reached out for a moment as if to touch Severus, but stopped at the last moment as if they'd been slapped away. "We haven't seen you in weeks, we thought you were dead," he said and Severus detected a hint of sadness in the werewolf's voice.

"I am not. But I need to ask you something, time is of the essence and I need you to answer me honestly, all right?" Severus asked.

"All right," Remus agreed immediately.

"If you had to choose between the order, Dumbledore and all they stand for, or Harry, who would you choose?" he asked.

Remus' eyes widened in shock, "Severus, why would you even ask me-"

"Remus," Severus interrupted him gently, "your answer."

"Harry of course, I thought you of all people would know that, Severus," he replied, sounding rather disgruntled.

"I had assumed, but I wanted to be sure of your answer. Now I must ask you a second question, do you trust me?" Severus asked.

"Of course I do," Remus replied without pause.

Severus held out his hand. "Then I need you to take my hand and come with me, no questions asked. Do you trust me enough to do that?" he asked.

Remus looked back at him for several moments, his eyes screaming questions while his mouth remained mute. Finally, without a word, he reached out and grasped Severus' hand. "Whenever you're ready, Severus."

Relieved Severus pulled him toward the door, down the stairs and out of the house. As soon as they were outside the wards Severus pulled the werewolf close and apparated them to the dark lord's manor. They moved through the grounds unhindered and slipped inside, moving silently through the halls of the manor until they reached the throne room.

"Inform your master we have arrived," Severus told Lissy when she popped in to see what they wanted. He pulled Remus into the room and closed the door behind them to keep any late night roaming death eaters out. Remus, whose hand was still held tightly in his, tightened his grip slightly and asked, "Okay, I've been quiet up until this point but, Severus, where are we?"

Before Severus could answer the doors to the throne room opened and the dark lord glided in, moving immediately to his throne. Severus didn't dare look at Remus, but he could feel the man's accusing eyes on the side of his face and he'd immediately pulled his hand from Severus' grasp.

"Do not look at Severus as if he has betrayed you, Mr Lupin, he did not bring you here to be harmed of killed," The dark lord said quietly as he sat down. "In fact his bringing you here is a ringing endorsement of both your integrity as a person and your magical ability."

"I won't become a death eater," Remus snarled.

"And I do not want you to," Voldemort replied, which Severus could tell surprised Remus, even if he wasn't looking at him.

"What do you want with me then?" Remus asked, caution in his tone.

Voldemort gave him a considering look for several moments before asking. "Are you as good a dueller as Severus tells me?"

"I like to think I am," Remus replied.

Voldemort looked thoughtful. "Mr Potter-"

"Harry? Do you know where Harry is?" Remus immediately demanded and Severus reached out to touch Remus' arm gently, not wanting him to upset the dark lord.

"He is important to you then?" Voldemort asked, looking pleased.

"Of course he is, where is he?" Remus demanded, prompting Severus to tighten his grip on Remus' arm.

"How important is he to you, Mr Lupin?" The dark lord asked.

Remus looked surprised by the question but he answered immediately. "He's like a son to me, I'd die for him."

"Does he mean more to you than Dumbledore, his order and the muggles he's so keen on pretending to fight for?" The Dark Lord asked.

"Of course he does!" Remus hissed and Severus knew he was offended by the accusation.

Voldemort smiled. "I do believe you will be perfect for what I need," he stated and Remus looked even further confused.

"I don't understand," the werewolf stated.

"Mr Potter is, as you originally surmised, a guest of mine. What you were incorrect about is the manner of our affiliation," Voldemort explained.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked curiously.

Voldemort stood up. "Lissy, bring Severus and Mr Lupin to Mr Potter's room," he ordered before disappearing with a barely audible pop.

Lissy did as ordered and when Severus and Remus appeared in Harry's room, Severus had to cast a very quick silencing spell to keep Remus' exclamation of surprise from waking the boy. "Harry!"

"Do not wake him," Voldemort ordered from where he was perched beside Harry on the bed. "He has had a difficult evening."

"Is he all right?" Remus asked, approaching the bed.

"He is quite all right, just tired," Voldemort replied.

"I don't understand, if Harry's not here as a prisoner, and he certainly doesn't look like he is, what is he doing here?" Remus asked.

"I shall allow Severus to explain that to you, Mr Lupin, what I need you to consider is a position I would like to offer you within my organisation. Young Mr Potter needs someone to protect him, even die for him if necessary. I could give the job to one of my death eaters, but I want someone who cares about him, loves him and I have chosen you for that job. Should you choose to accept you will remain here within the manor and you will be required only to look after Harry. Should you decline I will simply obliviate you and send you back to wherever you came from. I'll have Lissy take you and Severus back to Severus' room to discuss what had transpired, if you choose to accept you can call for Lissy to set up a room for you in this wing. You have tonight to make your decision."

Before anything else could be said Lissy had apparated them back to Severus' room then disappeared again to go back to whatever work she had been doing prior to their arrival.

"Severus, what the hell is going on?" Remus demanded as soon as they arrived.

"Sit down, Remus, there is a lot to tell you," Severus explained, showing Remus over to the black, leather couch he had placed beneath a window, and thinking about where best to start. He'd be lying if he said the Dark Lord's offer didn't surprise him, but if it meant keeping Harry safe and possibly having Remus nearby he wasn't going to argue.

"All right, there are a few things you need to know about Dumbledore and the order," he began.

XX

To call Remus furious would have been far short of the truth. He was pacing the room angrily before the story was half over, and if Severus wasn't mistaken, he was also growling quietly.

"Are you sure about this, Severus?" He snarled when the story was complete.

"I am certain, Remus."

"But surely there must be a mistake. Dumbledore is a good man … isn't he?" Remus asked, turning to Severus with a look that could only be described as beseeching.

"There is no mistake, Remus," Severus assured him.

"But how can you be sure?"

"I have been in Dumbledore's confidence for a long time, I know a great deal that others do not. I have known the headmaster's plans for Harry for some time," Severus explained.

"Then why didn't you tell any of us?" Remus demanded angrily.

"Most of the order are well aware of what the headmaster had planned, a good many have even aided in his plans. Telling any of them would have been pointless and it would have kept Dumbledore from confiding in me any longer. Were that to occur I would no longer be privy to the intelligence I have gained from being in his confidence and there would have been no hope at all of finding a way to save Harry," Severus explained.

"And Harry knows all of this?"

"He has for the last six months or so," Severus replied.

"So why didn't he tell me? Didn't he trust me? Did he think I was in on the plan too?" Remus asked sadly.

"No, he was aware that you were not involved, something I assure you was a huge relief for him. He didn't inform you for the same reason Miss Granger remains in the dark, he wants to keep you safe. The rest of us who are aware were already caught up in the war and all it entails, there is no way for us to be kept out of anything, you on the other hand could still be kept out of harms way and that is what Harry wanted," Severus explained.

"But this is Harry we're talking about. I'd rather be with him and in danger than kept in the dark for safety's sake."

"Of that I am aware, Remus, but Harry wanted you kept as safe as possible and therefore asked that I not involve you in anything that was going on. He also knew you would keep him from coming to the Dark Lord, which was another reason he kept you out of the loop."

"And why didn't you?" Remus demanded, the anger returning in force.

"I was incapacitated when Harry made the decision to come to the Dark Lord or I would have attempted to keep him away," Severus explained calmly, not wanting to fight with Remus.

Remus sighed, his anger deflating and a look of sadness overtaking his features. "This is such a mess."

"Yes it is," Severus agreed.

"And poor, Harry, to go through all of this. He's just a child."

"Unfortunately there is more I have to tell you," Severus said apologetically, feeling sorry for the werewolf that this was all getting dumped on him at once.

"I'm not sure I could handle any more," Remus said tiredly.

Severus moved over to his bedside table and pulled Lilly's letter out, handing it to Remus to read. He watched the werewolf's emotions change as his eyes travelled down the page. When he reached the bottom and looked up from the letter there were tears glistening in his eyes.

"When did you get this?" he asked.

"Six months ago when Harry found it in his mother's vault at Gringotts."

"Dumbledore just didn't give it to you then?"

"He did not," Severus replied honestly.

Remus nodded and Severus' watched the sadness in his eyes turn to anger as he folded the letter back up. He brushed away the tears away, squared his shoulders and said, "So, where did that elf go?"

"Are you sure about this, Remus? Voldemort will keep his word and you will only be required to look after Harry, it doesn't mean everything you experience while in his service will be pleasant," Severus explained, wanting Remus to be sure before he made his decision.

"I stopped caring about myself long ago, Severus," Remus told him matter of factly. "I have nothing to live for except Harry and well … one other person," he averted his gaze as he said that. "If this is where Harry is then this is where I'm going to be. I'll follow him into hell if I have to."

"Who's the other person?" Severus asked, wondering if Harry's words that first day in Voldemort's throne room had been about Remus, but not daring to hope.

Remus averted his gaze once more. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," Severus argued, averting his own gaze as Remus' returned to him.

"Why?" the werewolf asked.

"Does that matter?"

"It does to me," Remus echoed Severus' previous words.

"Why?" Severus returned Remus' question and at last rose his gaze to meet the werewolf's.

Remus' piercing, golden eyes searched his own and Severus searched his in kind. For the longest time they just studied each other. Then out of nowhere Remus turned away from Severus and growled, "Oh for Merlin's sake! We're adults not bloody teenagers, skip the subtle pretext and just get to the point. Do you like me or not?"

Severus almost laughed at Remus' outburst, he'd been an inch away from doing the same himself. "Yes, Remus, although I don't think like is quite the word I'd use to describe it," he replied, wanting to be honest with the werewolf now that they were finally talking about this.

Remus was silent for a long time and Severus was starting to get nervous. At last, without turning around, he said, with a shaky voice, "I love you too."

It was the most wonderful thing Severus could ever have imagined hearing and he took several moments to allow the words to really sink in before moving forward and slipping his arms around the still trembling werewolf, nuzzling his hair lightly.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered. "I won't hurt you."

Remus reached up to gently grasp Severus' arms. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm only afraid I'll ruin this when I've wanted it for so long. It's not exactly like I've had a lot of experience with relationships," he admitted.

"There's not a lot you could do that would ruin this. And besides, we're both about as socially inept as each other, so we're quite a good pair really." Remus chuckled at that, which had been Severus' intention. "I honestly think that of the two of us I'd be the more likely one to ruin this. I'm not the most amicable of people and I have no idea how to keep from driving you away."

"You won't. There's nothing you could do that could drive me away," Remus assured him.

"You might change your mind when you've been in the Dark Lord's service for a while," Severus cautioned him. "Like I said before, while the Lord is a lot more like his old self, what we do isn't all rainbows and puppies."

"Well considering it's you, Severus I couldn't imagine any of it being rainbows and puppies." Severus chuckled at that. "I've always known that you'd been a death eater at least once in your life, that's never bothered me about you. You care about Harry and keeping him safe and like I said before, aside from you, nothing else really maters to me. As long as you keep doing that, and treat me with respect and love, I don't really care what else you do."

"Always," Severus promised quietly. "You and I were given the task of caring for Harry together, that makes us family to him as well as each other, at least as far as I'm concerned. We won't always get along, no family ever does, but I will always look after Harry and I will always treat you with respect and … love." The word sounded so alien rolling off his tongue.

All of a sudden Remus was turning in his arms and his lips were covered by the werewolf's. He kissed back, holding Remus' fine, muscular frame against his own. The kiss was deep and intense and neither of them pulled away until they were desperate for air.

"Wow," Remus gasped breathlessly. "That was just as awesome as I imagined it would be." Then he leapt on Severus again.

Severus pulled back from the kiss long enough to ask, "Do you think we need to call Lissy to make up a room for you."

"Perfectly good room right here," Remus gasped back.

"Glad we're on the same page," Severus replied, moving them back toward the bed. "Lissy," He paused in his ravishing of Remus long enough to call Lissy and tell her Remus had agreed to the Lord's offer, before all but throwing Remus down on the bed and leaping on him.

That night was the best Severus had ever had

XX

And heeerrrreeee's Remus! DId you expect that? What about Dumble's plans for Neville? And did we like how Harry derailed them?

Now I had a few review comments I wanted to reply to. Sorry I didn't reply to reviews well I am very time poor with work and a toddler, but I wanted to say for the person who asked about Harry and the death eaters calling Voldemort "the lord" and not "our lord" I did that a little deliberately because in their minds he should be lord of everything and everyone and not just them, so he's everyone's lord and therefore "the lord" of everything. Maybe that's wrong but that's how I think of it. I can't remember the other thing but when I do I'll comment on it. Anyway please review and hopefully I'll see you soon xxoo


	11. Chapter 11

Hello! Oh my god I'm finally back. I've had the most rotten luck with my computer at the moment. My Mac (I can't believe I let someone talk me into getting one) has just died and while I managed to back everything up before it had its total meltdown it's the only computer I have. I have taken everything to my mother's house tonight to try and work on my stories, because of course the muse is biting, but it's a Windows computer and nothing apple will work on a windows computer. So a lot of headache later and I'm only just now managing to get this edited after a lot of creative navigating through my Ipad. All I can say is thank Merlin it's still working well. Anyway here we go, I hope you enjoy the update and sorry for the wait.

A Surprise

Breakfast the following morning was tense for Harry. He was still expecting a punishment and the longer it took the more on edge it made him. Not that anyone else would have been able to tell, on the outside he was the epitome of poise. Lissy popped into the room at one point and whispered something to Voldemort who gave her a quiet command before she popped away again. He seemed pleased about something and Harry could only hope it didn't bode ill for any of them.

Just before breakfast was over a man in a mask, much like Harry's, entered the room. He was dressed smartly in brown battle robes, his honey hair was slicked back and neat and he had a tidy moustache which was artfully groomed.

Voldemort smiled as he entered and stood up to greet the new arrival. "Everybody this is the newest member of my inner circle, Rem. I have brought him here for one purpose only, to instruct and assist my new right hand, who, while being one of my most competent death eaters, is still young and has further training to undergo. He will be with my right hand at all times, including accompanying him on missions to ensure his skills are perfectly polished and to give him back up, as he seems to be often saving the rest of you or left to escape on his own, don't think I haven't noticed the rest of you failing in that department." The gathered death eaters shrank down into themselves and Harry wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

"Rem, like my right hand, is not to be spoken to directly unless you have been given express permission by myself and should any harm come to him from any of you," he looked pointedly at Bellatrix, "the punishment will be severe. That is all. You may finish your breakfast and get on with today's assignments." Most of the death eaters left the table, the inner circle the only ones remaining. Voldemort returned to the table but didn't sit. "I will be heading to the parlour now, the rest of you pay join me there when you are done. Except for you, young one." he looked at Harry. "When you are finished I want you to show Rem to the library, he has some things to go over with you."

"Very well, My Lord," Harry agreed, wiping his hands on his napkin. "With your permission I will head there now." Voldemort inclined his head and Harry stood up from the table, bowed to the dark lord and motioned for Rem to follow him into the corridor.

"It's a bit of a labyrinth this place, but you'll learn your way around soon enough," Harry said conversationally as they walked. He was puzzling over this latest development and wondering what it would mean for him. Was Voldemort trying to make sure he didn't disappear while on a mission again? Was the man here to make his life hard so Voldemort wouldn't have to think of a way to hurt him without harming him again? He guessed he'd find out soon enough.

They reached the library rather quickly and Harry invited Rem to proceed him through the door. He followed the man inside and closed the door behind them, locking it against intrusion as Voldemort always had him do during lessons. "So the Lord is pretty specific with who I am and am not allowed to talk to," Harry said, making his way over to the window on the far wall to open the shutters manually, a muggle habit he'd never quite been able to kick. "He hasn't spoken about you to me before now so I'm assuming he's told you how much we are to know about each oth-" The word died on his lips as he turned back toward the man and found he had taken his mask off. "Remus," he gasped, torn between overwhelming joy and devastating sorrow at seeing his other god father here in the manor. "What's going on? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm here to be your body guard, for lack of a better word," Remus replied.

"But how did this happen? When? I don't understand."

"Severus came to Grimauld place and collected me last night. He brought me here where the Dark Lord presented his offer and the story about you and Dumbledore was explained to me. I was given a choice to stay here with you and do this job or be obliviated and returned to Grimauld, I obviously chose the former," Remus explained.

Harry felt tears sting his eyes. All the trouble he'd gone to to keep Remus out of harms way and protect him had been for nothing, he'd still ended up in the middle of the war. "But this isn't right," Harry protested. "You were supposed to be kept out of all of this. I did everything that needed to be done. You're supposed to be safe and protected, not thrown right into the middle of the fighting. This isn't the way this is supposed to be."

"Harry-"

"No this isn't right! You need to leave, now! Go back to Grimauld place and don't ever come back here. We've been working for weeks on how to keep you safe and it's going to work, we've sorted it all out. I can't protect Severus but I can damn well make sure you don't die for me like Sirius did. You're going to come out of this war and live a happy, peaceful life when it's all over. I won't lose another parent!"

"Harry calm down." Remus crossed the room and grasped Harry's arms gently. "It's okay."

"No it's not, don't you see? I did all of this to keep you safe and if I've failed in that then …" the tears started to choke him. "Then my life really has meant nothing and I really have just been a … a pawn in Dumbledore's game," he sobbed.

Remus pulled him into his arms and Harry couldn't help but melt into the comfort they offered. He was so upset that Remus was in danger, but he'd missed the werewolf so much in the last couple of weeks. He ripped the mask off his face and buried his eyes in Remus' shoulder, holding him tightly.

"Harry you have to listen to me. I know you wanted me safe, Severus explained all of this to me last night, but my life is nothing without you in it. I saw Lilly's letter last night and that only cemented to me what I was already feeling. You are my family. You and Severus, you're all I have in this world and I would rather be here, fighting alongside you and protecting you, even if that means my death, than living through this war and losing you." His tone became slightly jovial. "And besides this is a pretty sweet deal. I get loads of time with you, all my meals provided, a new and finely crafted wardrobe and an elf to groom me should I ever start to look shabby. I've never lived this well."

Harry huffed out a laugh, which he was sure had been Remus' intention. He wasn't happy about Remus being in the firing line, but he could also see the werewolf's point and it would be nice to spend as much of whatever time he had left as possible with Remus. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"I think I have a pretty good idea," Remus disagreed. "But that's the only part I can relate to. I know what you were thinking in doing this, but, Harry, you're a child. You have so much life left to live, how could you hand yourself over to the Dark Lord like this? And why didn't you tell me about Dumbledore? I know you wanted me safe but I would have much rather known."

"I know, I just love you too much," Harry admitted. "Just the thought of anything happening to you makes me feel like I'm dying inside."

Remus sighed. "Yes, I know how that feels."

"And you know why I came here, there was no other way. Either I die as a soldier of the light and my death means nothing, or I die as a death eater and through that negotiation I keep those I love safe. For me it was an easy choice," he explained. "Besides, being here honestly isn't that bad. Like you said there are perks, but there's also no pretext, no lies and … I'm actually pretty happy here. The Dark Lord's been rather nice all things considered."

"Yes, I did find it a bit odd that he wants someone to be your protector," Remus said, sounding puzzled.

"You and me both," Harry agreed. "With the way these things usually work we'll either find out at when the lord wants us to, or we'll never find out at all. Voldemort seems to like to keep us guessing."

"Well I don't imagine the man has to explain himself very often," Remus said. "So I guess he has the luxury of being enigmatic."

Harry nodded and pulled back to look at Remus, taking in every feature of the face that he had missed so terribly. "I'm not happy that you're in danger, but I am happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too, cub," Remus replied, stroking Harry's hair gently. "I don't imagine this will be the easiest job in the world, or the most pleasant considering who our employer is, but I'll be here with you and Severus and there's no place I'd rather be."

Harry smiled sadly. "Are you ever going to tell Severus that?"

"Actually …" Remus trailed off and Harry pulled back to look at him searchingly.

"Actually?" he prompted.

Remus grinned goofily and Harry gave him a knowing smile in return. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd see the day. Who caved first?"

"It was sort of mutual," Remus replied, a blush rising in his cheeks.

"Okay, that blush you've got going there tells me it's time to change the subject. I'm happy for you though, Moony."

"Thanks, cub, I am too." He gave Harry a happy smile. "So, Voldemort gave us the morning free, what do you want to do?"

"Catch me up on everyone back home," Harry asked, leading Remus over to one of the couches and dropping down onto it, accioing his mask to him in case someone came looking for them.

XX

As far as Harry was aware Voldemort had spent the morning going through ministry information and other bits and pieces that didn't really pertain to Harry. The inner circle all looked relaxed at lunch so it must have been a good morning. Voldemort smiled at Harry as he entered the room with Remus, both with their masks securely back in place. Harry was still wondering if a punishment was forthcoming for the previous night and he resolved to ask the dark lord after lunch. If there was a punishment coming he wanted it over and done with. Lunch was a quick affair and when it was over the lord ordered the inner circle back to the parlour. They headed there immediately and when they arrived he sent them all inside but kept Harry out with him in the corridor. Figuring he was going to carry out Harry's punishment, or at least discuss it with him, Harry waved Remus inside when he paused to wait for him and shut the door behind him.

Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart Harry turned back to face the dark lord and asked, "Have you decided on my punishment for last night, my lord?"

Voldemort looked confused, "Punishment? You think I intend to punish you?" he asked.

"I was late returning and you were very angry with me when I did get back," Harry reasoned. "I thought that perhaps you were thinking over how best to do it."

Harry couldn't read the expression on the dark lord's face, but he looked grim and … almost guilty. "No, I have not been thinking of ways to punish you, Harry. Have you been on edge all day waiting for a punishment?"

Harry looked down and nodded, Yes, My Lord," he replied honestly.

He heard Voldemort sigh. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised, I didn't exactly treat you kindly when you returned. I was angry about you putting yourself in danger by going to the order, yes, but I was more … concerned than anything else. Nobody knew where you were and I thought perhaps you'd been captured," he explained.

Harry looked up at the lord, surprised. "You were worried about me?" he asked disbelievingly.

This time it was Voldemort's turn to avert his gaze, a look of discomfort on his face. "Well … I do not want to see any harm come to you." Harry had a moment to feel flattered before the man spoke again. "After all every death eater is important to the mission, we need everybody in top physical condition to defeat the ministry."

"Of course," Harry agreed, kicking himself mentally for even thinking that the lord might mean those words differently.

"Anyway, why don't you head in and join the others. I just have one more thing to do before I come in," Voldemort directed.

"Yes, My Lord." Harry gave him a bow and headed into the room. He was relieved that he wasn't going to be punished, but he was disappointed and annoyed with himself about his assumption.

XX

Voldemort watched Harry disappear behind the parlour door with a sigh. He'd behaved like a coward, but he hadn't known how else to proceed after how the conversation bad begun.

"That was pathetic, Tom," Nagini scolded, slithering up behind him.

Voldemort cringed at the disappointment in her tone. "How much did you hear?"

"The part where you were almost nice to that hatchling then backed out at the last minute," Nagini replied. "I thought we'd agreed that you were going to be kind to the hatchling and tell him how you feel. Or has that agreement been terminated and it's fallen to me to tell him?"

"No, the agreement is still in place. I kept him out in the corridor while the others went into the meeting to do just that," Voldemort explained. "I was going to ask him how he liked his gift and having started off on a positive note I was going to segue into the feelings part afterward," he explained.

"So what went wrong?" Nagini asked.

"Before I could ask about the gift he asked if I had decided on his punishment for last night," Tom replied glumly. "I'd been so cruel to him when he returned from the mission that he thought I still intended to punish him and just hadn't decided how until now." Voldemort sighed. "That's all he thinks of me, Nagini," he said sadly. "I'm just the evil man who runs his life and hurts him. He'll never think any more of me than that."

"Oh no, don't you start feeling all pathetic and sorry for yourself again!" Nagini scolded, rising up to her full height and hissing angrily. "If that's the opinion he has of you then it's your job to change it, not wallow in self-pity. You're looking for excuses again, Tom and I'm not going to let you! You've done something nice for him by bringing the werewolf here, now you just have to keep up with the kindness" she coached. "You can do this, Tom, especially as you know what will happen if you don't," she reminded him.

He glared at her, but it wasn't as heated as it could be. "You can be a terrible nag when you want to be," he hissed.

"Yes I can," she replied, sounding far too self-satisfied for his liking.

"You're lucky I love you," he reminded her, although he really wasn't all that mad at her. She was right of course, and she knew just how to motivate him when he needed it.

"I'd say you're lucky that I love you." She slithered toward the door and he could feel how happy she was with herself at that moment.

Voldemort sighed. Of course she was right, he'd been the one to create Harry's expectations of him, it was his job to change them. He just had to work harder at it and stop feeling sorry for himself and making excuses. Of course, regardless of what he did Harry would still most likely want nothing to do with him in that way. He chose to ignore that likelihood however. Nothing in his life had ever come easily to him and yet he'd become one of the most powerful wizards to exist, if not THE most powerful. If he put his mind to something he could achieve it. He just had to be patient.

XX

The next few weeks were quiet but rather nice for Harry. Voldemort didn't plan any raids for them as he wanted to lay low and avoid the order and Dumbledore for a while. He made sure Lucius and the rest of his ministry death eaters laid as many false trails as possible to keep the order chasing ghosts while they regrouped, but other than that there wasn't a lot going on really.

It meant that a good amount of the inner circle's time was spent pursuing their own interests and for Harry that meant a lot of time spent with Remus and Severus, both studying and for personal reasons, and meditating as much as possible. He was pleased to say he was getting rather good at dark magic and both Severus and the Dark Lord were very pleased with his progress. His duelling and defence skills were also sharpening brilliantly under Remus' and Severus' tutelage, something they were all incredibly proud of.

His time spent with Remus and Severus outside of his lessons was also wonderful. Sometimes they just sat together in the library and read, other times they spent down in the potions lab with Severus watching him work, or sometimes watching his lessons with Draco. It was so comfortable between the three of them and Harry figured this is how it must feel to have a real family. He really liked it, and seeing Severus and Remus together made him happy as he knew that when he was gone they'd have each other.

Another thing that Harry had found nice over the last couple of weeks was the way Voldemort had behaved toward him and the inner circle. He was his normal, volatile self around the rest of his death eaters, but when he was with the inner circle or alone with just Harry he was really … well … nice. Not that he hadn't been nice to Harry in the rest of the time he'd been there, he had been, this was a different kind of nice. He was almost behaving like he cared about them, which made sense when it came to his inner circle, but Harry had never expected that behaviour to be directed toward him. The way he acted toward Harry was different to the rest of the inner circle, but it wasn't less caring, it actually seemed as if he cared more about Harry than the others, although of course that couldn't be the case.

Harry certainly wasn't complaining, it was really nice to feel cared for, the only thing was that with Voldemort being so kind and caring toward him, any reason Harry had not to feel attracted to the man was gone. He was starting to want the dark Lord, and not just in a physical way. He wanted to know the man for who he truly was, he even found himself wanting to spend time with him when it wasn't required of him. When Voldemort gave them free time Harry had taken to inviting him down to the garden to meditate with him. The first few times Voldemort had turned him down, having work he had to get done, but one fine, summer morning, after saying he had things to do, Harry had been sinking into meditation when he'd felt the dark lord's presence enter the garden. He'd left before Harry had completed his meditation and Harry wasn't sure what he'd been doing there, but every time he'd meditated since he'd made sure to leave the space on his left free in case the dark lord chose to join him after all.

That was actually where he was headed this morning with Remus and Severus. The lord had given then permission to join Harry during his meditations in the garden and ensured the wards were keyed to allow them entry. They moved into the garden and Harry immediately settled into his favourite spot under the tree. Remus sat down on his right and Severus was going to sit down on the other side but Harry stopped him.

"Go and sit beside Remus, I know you want to," Harry said with a smile. "Besides, that's the lord's favourite spot and he occasionally likes to join me out here."

Severus looked surprised but he agreed readily, moving around the other side of the tree to sit beside Remus. Harry was sinking down into his meditation when he felt the Lord's presence in the garden. He smiled to himself when he felt Voldemort sit down on his left. He didn't know if Voldemort was actually meditating, but his presence was something Harry found more and more soothing the more they spent time together and it helped him meditate if nothing else. Nagini slithered up onto his lap a few moments later and he felt that soft, cool touch on his hand as he had last time Voldemort had joined him in his meditation. Figuring it was Nagini's head he relaxed his hand further to give her a more comfortable spot to rest before slipping deeper into himself and the meditation.

XX

Remus lupin wasn't a clueless man. Occasionally he might misunderstand some things, but for the most part he prided himself on being quite clued in and aware of everything that was happening around him. The only thing he'd ever been unsure of in the past was Severus' feelings for him and really that had only been because he was overthinking things. If he'd let his instincts guide him he would have realised Severus felt the same way for him long ago. Other than that though he'd always seemed to just know what was going on, even when other people didn't, and this was why the current situation infuriated him so.

When he'd agreed to stay with the death eaters and protect Harry he'd expected Voldemort to be harsh and cruel to his godson and had half expected to spend more of his time protecting Harry from the dark lord than anyone else. Since he'd arrived however he'd been astonished to find that Voldemort actually treated Harry very kindly. In fact if he didn't know better he'd swear the man actually cared for his young god son and if insanity really took hold him he'd be pretty sure Harry felt the same. But that was crazy wasn't it? They'd been mortal enemies for years and even if Harry didn't blame the dark lord for killing his parents anymore, and had shifted the blame for that to Dumbledore as Severus had told him, didn't Voldemort still want Harry dead because of some prophecy? And wasn't Harry well aware of this fact?

Not knowing what was going on frustrated him and he didn't like feeling frustrated, it made his wolf act up and that was never a comfortable feeling for Remus. He'd wanted to ask Harry about it, but it was very unlikely Harry would know what Voldemort was thinking and feeling, so even if Harry did talk to him about his side of things, which wasn't guaranteed, he'd still be missing half of the puzzle.

Obviously feeling his tension Severus' hand reached over and gently intertwined with his own. Remus sighed and turned to look at his lover. Severus was a calm place amidst the chaos, as he had been for Remus since he'd returned to Hogwarts in Harry's third year. He calmed Remus' mind and body so easily, and he tamed the wolf, in more ways than one. He was so glad they were finally together. He'd never realised just how bad his inner turmoil had been until Severus had eased it, and he loved the man so much he never wanted to be away from him. Even just looking at him like he was now was soothing to Remus.

As if sensing his gaze Severus opened his eyes and looked at Remus in a way that asked, 'can't concentrate?'

Remus shook his head and looked back with a 'too much going on in my head' look.

'Need me to do something about it?' Severus' eyes asked next.

Remus grinned in a way that very clearly said 'I'd love you to', but he motioned toward Harry, reminding Severus that Remus at least was supposed to stay with him.

"Mr Potter will be quite fine out here with Nagini and I for a while, Mr Lupin," Voldemort's voice sounded in Remus's head, and obviously Severus' as well as he turned to look at the Dark Lord. "Run along now both of you, you have the afternoon off. I was intending to go over some things with Harry this afternoon anyway."

Remus never liked to leave Harry alone with Voldemort, but he kept having to remind himself that the dark lord couldn't actually do the boy any harm without causing his own death, and as Severus had told him several times since his arrival Voldemort valued his own life a great deal. Besides, Remus could do with a little time alone with Severus, to calm himself if nothing else. He climbed to his feet, pulling Severus up with him, and they left the garden together. They headed immediately to their room where Remus stripped himself off and allowed Severus to do as he pleased with him. It wasn't long his mind was too blank to even think about Harry and Voldemort.

XX

Harry felt Severus and Remus leave the garden and wasn't at all surprised. He'd felt how increasingly on edge Remus was becoming and he'd figured it wouldn't be long before Severus picked it up as well and did something about it. Of course Harry wasn't going to think about what that involved, there were some things one didn't need to know about their parents, but if it helped Remus cope with being in the Dark Lord's service Harry was glad for it. Nagini's head had moved from his hand as they'd left, probably wanting to see what was going on, but it returned shortly after and Harry was happy she hadn't been too disturbed by their leaving.

He was almost nearing the end of his meditation anyway and was spiralling slowly back up through the layers of his mind. He'd been pondering over what to do about the whole Voldemort situation all morning, even during his meditation. He knew what he wanted to do about it and had finally allowed his mind to acknowledge the truth of it, but he wasn't so sure he should. If he told Voldemort how he was feeling, and the man laughed and told him how stupid he was, it would make the remainder of his service to the Dark Lord very uncomfortable, which at the moment it really wasn't; something Harry was enjoying. But honestly, what else could he do? Ignore the feelings? That never ended well for anyone.

As he reached the surface of his mind and began to move awareness back to his body, he began to notice something about Nagini's head that was still resting on his hand. It felt lighter and bonier that he'd expected. He was about to open his eyes and look to see if something was wrong when a voice calling to Voldemort from outside the garden drew his attention.

"My Lord, we have excellent news," the man said gleefully. Voldemort moved to his feet and Harry followed after him, allowing Nagini to slither off his lap first. They walked through the door and into the manor before Voldemort ordered the death eater to report. "There was an explosion in Diagon Alley today, not caused by us but some kind of accident, and in the confusion that followed those of us who were around the area managed to capture several order and ministry members," the man reported ecstatically.

"Who did you capture and where are they?" Voldemort asked.

"They're down in the dungeons, My Lord, and I'm afraid I, myself, do not know all of them, My Lord. It might be best if you see for yourself," the death eater suggested gently.

"If you don't know who they are how did you know to capture them?" Voldemort asked as if the man were a moron.

"Lucius told us who to take, My Lord," the man explained. "There are one or two we captured that won't be worth a lot, but we figured they might be some fun for you," the death eater explained in a hopeful tone.

"Very well, we shall journey down and see for ourselves," Voldemort agreed, turning and walking in the direction of the dungeons. Harry walked alongside him, hoping none of the people captured were friends of his. Most of the order members he didn't care about and he had no idea who worked at the ministry most of the time, but the 'extras' the death eater mentioned had him worried. It turned out he was right to worry as along with the order members and ministry officials who Voldemort seemed quite pleased to have caught, there was also a random woman Harry didn't know and Ginny. They had been placed together in a cell away from the others, and as Harry and Voldemort approached the dark lord's voice whispered in his head, "The read head is one of yours isn't she?"

"Yes, My Lord," Harry thought back.

"I thought so. I will have her moved to a different cell."

He ordered one of the death eaters to move Ginny to a cell further down in the dungeon with a thicker door, so nobody would know what had happened to her or ask questions if she suddenly disappeared. Voldemort then eyed the other woman closely for a minute before asking her name.

Harry didn't hear her reply, too focused on making sure Ginny was only taken where Voldemort ordered. But when he turned back to study the lord he could see that Voldemort seemed pleased by her answer. "You may be quite useful to me, madame," the man said thoughtfully.

"How exactly would that be?" she asked, sounding utterly terrified.

"We will discuss that later," Voldemort replied, moving away from the cell and taking Harry gently by the arm. He headed down the corridor until they were out of ear shot of the dungeon's other occupants before saying, "The young girl will be yours to deal with. Being a magical child of course she would not have been harmed regardless, but I will let you decide whether to let her go or keep her here."

"Thank you, My Lord," Harry replied, watching the death eater close the door to Ginny's cell. He would have to decide how best to proceed. Keeping her here would no doubt be safer for her physically, mentally however keeping her in a dungeon wouldn't be good and she wasn't likely to stay in a room in the manor without out trying to escape. He'd have to give it some serious thought.

Voldemort left his side and walked back up to where the group of death eaters were awaiting further instructions. "The order members and the ministry officials will definitely be of use, congratulations on their capture." The death eaters smiled happily until Voldemort continued. "Our first extra will also serve a purpose. The girl however should never have been brought here!" he said sternly.

"We just thought you might be able to have a little fun with her," one of the death eaters suggested and seconds later his screams filled up the dungeon as Voldemort caste a crucio on him.

"She is a child!" he snarled when the curse had been ceased. "Magical children need to be protected not killed or tortured. If any of you intentionally kidnap or harm a child in the future your life will be forfeit, is that understood?"

"Yes, My Lord," the death eaters quickly agreed.

"Very good, now bring me that one," he pointed into one of the cells holding the ministry officials and Harry watched the death eaters pull someone out. He started begging for his life but Voldemort quickly silenced him and walked out of the dungeons, the death eaters dragging the man along behind him. Harry called for Lissy and ordered her to take some food and water into Ginny before heading out of the dungeon himself. He had to decide what to do.

XX

So what did we think? I have loved all your comments and reviews so please keep them coming. There was a request to see more of what was happening back with Dumbles and there will be some of that next chapter, promise. I've almost written the end of this story now, still a few more chapters to go from this one, but it's mostly written which I hope makes everyone happy. I am curious to know whether there's anything else you'd like to see more of. Like side characters or the like? Let me know.


	12. Chapter 12

So OMG it's been forever hasn't it? My computer still isn't fixed, with work and looking after a threenager my time to get it sorted has been severely limited. That being said I have started maternity leave earlier than intended so I have a tiny bit of free time now and as a result I have dug out this tiny computer I'm currently typing on, which is awkward as hell, and am posting another chapter for my long suffering fans. Here goes, I hope you enjoy it.

The Prophecy

It was later that evening that Harry returned to the dungeon. He'd spent all afternoon deciding what to do with Ginny and had finally come to a decision. He walked down to her cell and opened the door to find her sitting on the seat against the back wall of the cell, the food and water sitting untouched beside her. She glared defiantly at him as he entered and closed the door behind him, but he could see the fear in her eyes and it made him feel terrible.

"The food and water aren't poisoned or anything of the sort, you should eat something," he suggested.

"And you expect me to trust you when you say that?" she spat back at him.

Harry chuckled at her defiance. She'd always been a feisty little thing "No, of course not," he replied. "But I wanted to offer it anyway since I'm sure you're thirsty by now." He picked up the jug of water and filled the cup taking a long swallow himself before cleaning the cup magically and pouring one for her. "It's just water," he promised her. "We have no intention of hurting you."

She eyed him speculatively as she took the cup and sipped it experimentally. When nothing happened after several seconds she downed the rest of the cup and poured another. "You'll understand if I don't believe you about the last part," she said after she'd downed the second glass.

"Of course I do," he replied with a smile. "But it's true. In fact we don't even want to keep you here, you can go. I'll even take you back to your house and drop you off myself."

She dropped the cup into her lap and stared at him in confusion. "Just like that?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Just like that," he confirmed.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you letting me go?" Ginny asked distrustfully.

You're a child, we're not in the business of harming magical children," Harry replied simply. "There's no point trying to change the world for the better if there's no one left to live in it."

"And just how exactly are you changing the world for the better?" Ginny asked. "You attack people, kill people, how is that better?"

"Because the people we're attacking and killing are corrupt or bad," Harry replied simply.

"Those muggles found dead in their homes with their children taken were bad?" Ginny demanded angrily.

"Yes they were," Harry replied simply. "They were abusing those children and nothing was being done about it. So we did something."

Ginny looked taken aback. "How can you be sure?" she asked.

"We could hear it when we approached the house. A little girl crying and begging for mercy while her caretaker beat her continuously. Have you ever heard that before?" he asked.

Ginny shook her head.

"I have, several times now. In fact I've been in that exact position myself and nothing was done for me either. We're not going to sit back and let it keep happening. Those people were lucky the children were our biggest concern or their deaths would have been a lot more unpleasant," Harry said angrily.

"And where does the corruption come into it?" Ginny asked.

Harry sighed, moving to sit down beside her on the chair. He hadn't intended to tell her all of this, but it seemed he was going to. "There is a lot about the magical world you don't know and probably don't want to know. But if you're so keen to hear it, I'll gladly explain before I take you home."

XX

It was far later than he'd intended when he landed outside the Weasley burrow wards with Ginny. He'd told the girl everything and she'd listened, but he knew she wasn't completely convinced and he couldn't blame her. Had he not had the proof right in front of him he would have had a hard time believing it too.

She'd asked about him of course, Harry that was, and he'd told her as much as he could without lying or giving anything away. He told her Harry wasn't a prisoner in the manor, but that he did know him, very well in fact. He also told her that Harry knew about Dumbledore's plans for him and had been very hurt when he'd found out. Now, as he dropped her off, he gave her some parting advice.

"I know you don't believe me, especially about your family, but the truth is there for you to discover you just have to look for it. Good luck, Ginny, take care of yourself and your non traitorous family."

She eyed him warily as if unsure what she should do now and he motioned for her to head toward the house.

"How do I know you won't just fire a spell at me from behind as I walk?" she asked suspiciously.

Harry chuckled. "Why would I waste all the effort of telling you what I've told you and bringing you all the way back here, where I could be captured, if I wanted you dead?" he asked.

"Good point," she conceded, turning to walk in the direction of the house. She looked back at him several times before breaking out into an all out run toward the house, which had him laughing some more. As soon as she was out of his sight he disapparated, content in the knowledge that she was safe within the wards.

When he arrived back at the manor he headed for the library where he hoped someone would still be awake and rolling his eyes when he found himself hoping it was Voldemort. The afternoon had been exhausting for him, more mentally that physically, but he felt bone tired and weary to the core. He wanted to just fall into bed and sleep, but his mind was too active after the conversation with Ginny and he needed to talk to someone about something else to calm it before he tried to sleep.

He felt Voldemort's presence in the library before he opened the door and found himself smiling despite the day he'd had. Voldemort had a calming presence, as long as he wasn't upset about something, and he knew it would calm him down faster than anything else.

Voldemort looked up when he opened the door and gave him a soft smile that made his heart skip a beat. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined the dark lord smiling at anyone like that, let alone him. Then again he'd also never imagined he'd like the dark lord smiling at him that way and he certainly did.

"How did it go?" Voldemort asked.

"I told her everything I could about Dumbldore and what he was doing without giving away who I was, then I took her home," Harry replied, moving into the room and shutting the door behind him, pulling his mask off as he went. "I apparated her outside the wards and let her walk to the door, I didn't pass through them myself," Harry added before Voldemort would get upset at him for going where the order are.

The man nodded. "Did she believe you?" he asked.

Harry leant against the bookcase by the door and sighed. "I don't know, probably not. I told her to look and find out for herself and I think she might do it in her attempt to prove to herself that I'm wrong. Not sure what she'll find, but the more people's ears we can get into about Dumbledore the better," Harry reasoned.

"This is true," Voldemort agreed. "Are you going to retire to bed? You look ready to fall asleep on your feet."

"I am, I just need a few minutes to wind down before I try and sleep; my mind is too active," Harry explained. "Mind if I join you? I don't want to intrude on your quiet time."

"You're more than welcome to," Voldemort replied, motioning to the space beside him on the couch. "I do not find your presence intrusive. You're the lowest maintenance company I keep quite honestly," he admitted as Harry took a seat beside him.

"What are you reading?" Harry asked, motioning to the book the man was holding in his hands.

"Nothing overly exciting," Voldemort replied, looking down at the book. "It's a book about divination."

"Divination?" Harry asked surprised. "I hadn't thought the subject would interest you."

"It doesn't," Voldemort agreed. "However one doesn't get to be the worlds greatest wizard without knowing all he can about magic; even the areas he questions the usefulness of."

"I suppose not," Harry agreed, relaxing back on the couch. "What are your favourite areas of study? Aside from dark arts of course."

"Legimency, ancient runes, duelling and charms," Voldemort replied.

"Do you like to create your own spells?" Harry asked, feeling himself relax and the sleepiness start to seep into his brain.

"I do actually," the dark Lord replied and if Harry weren't so tired he would have heard the amusement in the man's tone. "How about you?"

"I've never created one, but I'd like to if I were good enough in an area to do it. I'm pretty good in defence so maybe a DADA spell," Harry replied, feeling himself start to drift off. "I think I should go to bed."

"That's probably a good idea," Voldemort agreed, the amusement obvious enough in his tone for Harry to notice it this time. One moment he was thinking about calling Lissy to take him to bed so he didn't have to walk, the next he was asleep

XX

Nagini had finished her nightly hunt and slithered through the manor to find Tom. He'd said he was going to the library to read while he waited for Harry to return so she slithered there first. She slipped her head under the door and smiled at what she saw.

Tom was sitting on the couch, smiling down at Harry who'd fallen asleep beside him. She wasn't sure whether it had happened accidentally or Tom had a hand in it, but Harry's head was resting on Tom's shoulder and the older man's hand was resting softly on his, the way Tom liked to do while the younger man was meditating. It was so adorable Nagini wished she had one of those magical cameras to capture the moment.

As if sensing her presence Voldemort looked over at her, his eyes warning her against saying anything teasing to him about his current position. She bid him good night, knowing he'd hear the amusement in her voice and slipped back out into the hallway. As she slithered in the direction of Tom's room she couldn't have been happier. Perhaps Tom would finally work up the courage to say something to the young man about his feelings. It was about damn time.

XX

The Order had been so surprised when Ginny had called through the flu to Grimauld place to tell them she was at the burrow and unharmed. She was quickly brought through to the old Black residence and looked over by Madame Pomphrey who Dumbledore had called in from the school. She was perfectly fine of course, just as she'd told them she was, although she couldn't blame them for being sceptical.

Once they were completely convinced that she was fine they sat her down and quizzed her about what had happened. She'd told them about being captured and everything that had happened afterwards, although she'd left out the conversation she'd had with the young Death Eater. She didn't believe him of course, Dumbledore and her family couldn't possibly be like that, but something inside her kept her from saying anything.

They asked her about the young man, Dumbledore was incredibly curious having seen him out in the battlefield. Ginny honestly didn't have a lot to tell them about him as she hadn't found out much and even though she could tell they were disappointed by her lack of information they didn't get upset at her about it. Her mother cooked her a huge dinner, ran her a bath that she almost fell asleep relaxing in and sent her to her spell warmed bed with a cup of hot chocolate.

That night as she slept her mind conjured up images of what had happened to her that afternoon and without the fear clouding her judgment her mind began to piece together little bits of information about the young man that she'd noticed but not really paid any mind to. Like his voice and his smile, which were so familiar, the way he seemed to almost know her and felt so familiar to her. Like the beautiful green eyes that had always reminded Ginny of a glittering emerald and the mask that had that little curling piece right where Harry's scar would have been.

When morning arrived her eyes snapped open in shock and she immediately threw her covers aside, leaping from the bed and racing from her room. She was nowhere near careful as she ran along the corridors and down the stairs to the kitchen/dining area where she hoped someone would be awake. She was relieved beyond words when she reached the dining room and found both of her parents and Dumbledore seated at the table, talking quietly over mugs of coffee.

"Ginny, dear, whatever is the matter?" her mother asked worriedly as she burst into the room.

"It's Harry," Ginny gasped, struggling to catch her breath from her run down the stairs.

"What about Harry?" Dumbledore asked, rising quickly to his feet and walking over to her, his kind blue eyes studying her closely as if he really cared about what she had to say.

"The young death eater, the one who brought me home, I think he was Harry."

XX

"You all know the plan." Dumbledore addressed the assembled group. "When the death eaters arrive we need to create as much confusion as we can while Dora, Arthur and Percy grab the young death eater in the silver mask. Once this is accomplished and the three have escaped with the young man do whatever is necessary to get away without being killed. This mission is of the upmost importance. Our intelligence has indicated that he is an important link to the Dark Lord and could tip the balance of this war in our favour should we succeed. Go fourth and be safe."

He finished his speech and the Order members apparated away to their designated locations for the planned ambush. Ginny watched them go, worried for her father and siblings who were part of the group. Dumbledore hadn't told most of them that the boy was Harry, he said he hadn't wanted to get their hopes up in case she was mistaken, but of course she knew she wasn't. She didn't know what Dumbledore had used as bait to set the trap for the death eaters, it had taken over a week to set up, but she was sure it would work, Dumbledore was a great man after all.

She hoped desperately that everything went off without a hitch,;it was a dangerous mission and she would hate to see anything happen to any of the order or Harry. She was so glad it was happening though, she'd missed Harry terribly and she wanted to see him free of Voldemort's clutches and cured of whatever the evil, dark wizard had done to him to make him willingly serve the dark.

She reached across the table and took Hermione's hand. The other girl was the only person outside of Ginny's immediate family who knew about Harry, and Ginny knew she was as anxious about the outcome as Ginny was.

Hermione squeezed her hand gently in return and shot her a grateful smile. They'd supported each other through Harry's disappearance and they'd support Harry through his recovery, whatever it took.

XX

"The original copy of the prophecy wasn't destroyed at the Department of Mysteries?" Voldemort asked, a startled look in his ruby eyes.

"That is what our intelligence suggests, My Lord," the death eater replied. "Our sources tell us that Dumbledore traded it for a fake several months before our raid and has been hiding it in this location ever since."

"And do we know this intelligence is correct? Is the source reliable?" Voldemort asked.

"He has always been reliable in the past, My Lord."

Voldemort nodded thoughtfully. "Do we have any information about the security around this location?"

"It is apparently minimal, My Lord, as only a very select number of people are actually aware of it's location."

"So how did our source find out?" Voldemort asked skeptically.

"Overheard a conversation between Dumbledore and Arthur Weasley, My Lord, he is one of the only ones within the old man's confidence about the issue."

"It certainly isn't unheard of for Dumbledore to chat about things he shouldn't, in company he shouldn't," Voldemort said with a significant glance at Severus. "I will need to discuss this further with my inner circle. Leave us."

The death eater bowed and left the room. Once the door was shut behind him Voldemort looked from Lucius, to Severus, "Thoughts?" he asked.

"I wouldn't put it past the old man to switch the prophecy around with a fake and he did mention the possibility to me on more than one occasion," Severus replied thoughtfully. "He never told me that he'd actually done so, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Dumbledore is a scheming, old man good at knowing what to reveal and what to hide."

"Which is why I am sceptical about this information, however, we know he has leaked valuable information before," Voldemort replied, thinking of the prophecy's original spreading. "Although we know he most likely did that intentionally to bring about the first war."

"Gaining the original copy of that prophecy is important however, we cannot dismiss the truth of that," Lucius said thoughtfully. "Even if it is a trap can we afford to pass up the opportunity we've been presented with?"

Voldemort couldn't ignore the truth of that statement. "I will think on it further and let you know what I decide," he told the men who nodded in agreement with his decision. He returned their nods and left the room, wanting a walk through the manor to clear his head. On one hand he really needed that prophecy, and not just for himself anymore. On the other hand a trap was a trap and getting caught in one could seriously derail his plans not to mention placing himself and hie death eaters at risk.

He walked through the brightly lit corridors of the manor, the small part of his brain not focused on the current issue noticing the lovely weather outside. He hadn't realised that it was walking him toward the garden until he reached the archway and his gaze immediately caught on Harry, sitting beneath the tree, with Remus beside him, meditating. He looked so beautiful sitting out there, bathed in the sunlight of a beautiful, fine, Summer day. Voldemort wanted to claim that beauty for himself, to make Harry his in every way he could and not just in a superficial sense. If he could convince Harry to let him close he wanted that closeness to last and what hope did they have of that without the prophecy? If it was true at all he needed to know the exact wording to work out how to prevent it or get around it.

He needed that prophecy, no matter the cost.

Stepping back into the manor he called to Lissy to gather his death eaters in the throne room. As she popped away Voldemort looked back out at the garden to find Harry's eyes open and watching him. There was curiosity in the emerald orbs as well as a warmth that made Voldemort's heart beat pick up more than he'd ever admit to anyone.

"We have a mission," he told the young man before his mouth could say something he didn't want it to. "We're all meeting in the throne room."

Harry nodded and rose to his feet, Remus following immediately behind. As they walked through the manor Voldemort asked Harry how his morning had been and was pleased to see the happiness in Harry's eyes as he spoke, a happiness that hadn't been present until Remus had come to the manor. Voldemort had already been pleased with Severus' choice of Harry's protector, now he was doubly so.

XX

The number of death eaters Voldemort had taken along for the mission could probably have been considered overkill but he didn't want to take any chances. He had Harry stay back with one of the small groups of death eaters, spread around the area to be called in if needed, not wanting him to be caught up in a trap if this did turn out to be one.

The house hadn't been heavily guarded as the intelligence had suggested and in fact everything was progressing very smoothly, which was what worried Voldemort most of all. Once he had the prophecy in his hand he ordered the death eaters with him to retreat and was almost out of the building when he felt a twinge in his dark mark telling him that one of his soldiers had been hurt. Recognising the feeling of the alerting mark Voldemort immediately identified it as belonging to one of the death eaters who'd been with Harry's group and dread shot through him like a needle of ice.

He stormed toward the door and was furious, but not at all surprised, to find a magical ward had snapped up around the building trapping the inside. It was strong, but not strong enough to contain him for long, let alone the entire group he had with him. Within a minute it was dismantled and the group flew from the building, expecting to meet an army as soon as they exited. Voldemort wasn't prepared for the silence they were met with and keyed up as he was, expecting a fight, it took him a moment longer than he would like to realise what had happened.

It was a trap, but not for him and they hadn't stuck around to face him once they'd achieved their objective. With an angry scream he tore through the anti-apparition ward around the building and flew to where Harry and the rest of his group had been waiting. They were all there, unconscious and badly injured, except for Harry who was gone.

Voldemort didn't know what he was feeling in that moment, so many emotions swirled through his mind blocking all logical thought for several moments. He was vaguely aware of Severus running over to a downed Remus and pulling him into his arms. The man looked to be in bad shape and in a tiny section of his mind Voldemort felt proud that he'd fought so hard to keep Harry safe. When Severus' stricken, black eyes flew up to look at him and he saw just how much pain one of his dearest friends was suffering because of the order, rage coursed through him burning out all the other emotions.

An angry scream burst from him and he sent a bolt of magical energy up into the cloudless sky. It swirled and coiled around itself until it formed into the dark mark, a warning to anyone who saw it that the Dark Lord was furious and a warning to the Order that he was coming for them.

With enough of his anger temporarily burned off to think rationally he sent a command to the unharmed death eaters to immediately look for the order. Then, with a twirl, he collected the fallen warriors up in his magical aura and aparated them back to the manor for medical treatment before heading out to look for Harry himself.

He would find his right hand and he would make the order pay for daring to take him away.

XX

Harry sat chained to wall, glaring hotly at Dumbledore as he waved his wand over Harry healing his wounds.

"It's so good to have you back, Harry," the man was cooing, his blue eyes sparkling with what Harry knew to be false kindness. "Don't worry, whatever that evil man did to you we're going to sort it out and bring you back to yourself, I promise."

Harry didn't speak, refusing to give the old coot the satisfaction of receiving a response from him. Dumbledore didn't seem at all perturbed by his lack of response, continuing to wave his wand over Harry, fixing up every little cut he had.

"Is he here? Is he all right?" Hermione and Ginny ran into the room looking worried. When they spotted him the relief on their faces was hugely evident and it took everything in Harry not to smile at Hermione. It was so good to see her. Ginny not so much since Harry was sure she was the reason he'd been taken.

"I'm afraid Harry isn't in the best state to converse right now ladies. He appears to be under some rather strong dark curses and isn't at all himself," Dumbledore explained. "It's going to take some very strong magic of my own to counteract them, and the experience isn't going to be easy or pleasant for any of us."

Harry glared harder at Dumbledore. He was pretty sure the old coot knew there were no dark curses on Harry, so Harry wondered what exactly he planned to do to him. He was sure it would be painful and involve all the endurance he had, so he closed his eyes and moved inward, calling up all the strength he possessed and steeling his mind against intrusion as Severus had taught him.

He wouldn't let the old coot into his head, he'd die first.

He drew on every positive thing in his life to steel him, including the memories he had of time spent with Voldemort these past few weeks. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined Voldemort being a source of strength for him, but life was a funny thing and this is where his life had led him. He wouldn't regret it, not when the last few weeks had been the happiest of his life.

He opened his eyes to see Dumbledore watching him warily and gave the man his best, 'Do you worst, you old bastard, you'll never break me', look.

Dumbledore smiled in a way Harry assumed was supposed to be reassuring. "Don't worry, Harry, I won't rest until you're back with us." He raised his wand and a spell flew into Harry's body.

It burned from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair, far worse than anything Voldemort had ever inflicted on him. He clenched his teeth to keep from screaming, not wanting to give the old coot the satisfaction. Just when he felt like he was about to faint from the pain the spell cut off and Dumbledore stepped back, watching Harry shrewdly.

"What was that spell?" Ginny asked, worry evident in her tone.

"That was a spell designed to break the brainwashing curse the dark lord has over Harry," Dumbledore explained. "It may not work immediately, but eventually it will break through. Unfortunately it is quite uncomfortable and can only be used for a short length of time and with at least a two minute gap between sessions. While we wait for that time to pass, I will attempt to enter young Harry's mind and try and undo the spell from the inside."

Dumbledore raised his wand again and Harry strengthened his inner barriers as much as he could before the legimency spell hit. It, like the previous spell, was excruciating. He fought back against the old man and kept him out easier than he would have thought possible, but the scream was a lot more difficult to contain.

Dumbledore pulled back, looking slightly frustrated but determined and before Harry knew it the first spell had been thrown at him again. He endured this for another several attempts before he couldn't contain his screams of pain any longer. It disgusted Harry to see the triumphant look on Dumbledore's face when he canceled the spell that time. He immediately attempted to breach Harry's mind, but Harry kept him out, something he could tell really pissed the man off. He enjoyed his small victory for a moment or two before the pain began again.

XX

End of chapter.

Oh no Harry's been captured! What do you think Voldemort is going to do? I'll hopefully have a new chapter out soon, although it's hard without my usual computer. I have loved all your reviews so please keep them coming. Hopefully I don't drop a baby before I get time to perfect the next chapter for you all.

Kisses and Hugs

Kayla


	13. Chapter 13

OMG I'M BACK. I have been without a computer for so long and then I got a new one which wasn't compatible thanks to apple being jerks and windows 10 being crap. Anyway my macbook miraculously came back to life the other day so here I am. Thank you so much for your patience and support, I know how long you've waited. So here goes, enjoy.

The search

Voldemort and the death eaters were forced to return to Slytherin manor when day broke, knowing they'd be caught and captured if they did not. None of them had found even a trace of Harry and Voldemort was going to go back out alone to look him, possible capture be damned, but was stopped by his inner circle who reminded him that there was a lot more that could be accomplished by a few ears to the ground than by Voldemort searching aimlessly and being captured. It took everything in him not to hex the lot of them into the ground, but he kept his cool knowing they were right. He sent them all away and dropped into his throne with Nagini in his lap.

She tried to be reassuring and he tried not to let his thoughts darken too much, but he couldn't help it. She eventually managed to convince him that he needed rest in order to resume the search that evening and he retired to his bedroom purely to appease her. After hours of restlessness he finally fell into a fitful sleep, his nightmares plagued by images of Harry being tortured by Dumbledore.

He was pulled into wakefulness early that evening by an odd tugging in the back of his mind. Tired and agitated as he was it took several moments for him to recognise it as the contract warning him that Harry had been away from him too long. A sudden jolt of fear struck him. He'd never considered Harry's unwilling capture when he was creating the contract and therefore hadn't created a clause to protect the young man from the contracts guidelines should such an event occur. If Harry wasn't found soon he'd die and Voldemort wouldn't let that happen.

He reached out for the threads of the contract that bound Harry to him and felt along them until he found the one that was currently throbbing in his head. He used every ounce of magic he could conjure to try and break that thread, but it was all for nought, the thread held firm and Voldemort could feel it throbbing faster and stronger. He felt panic overtake him momentarily, if he couldn't break this thread he would lose Harry forever, there had to be something he could do.

When the answer came to him it brought relief and dread in equal measure.

Magical contracts were a two way street, both parties who created it had the power to decide what they were willing to give and get, but once it was signed in blood you couldn't go back on what you'd given yourself over to. What most people didn't realise however is that you had the power to withdraw your demands on the other person and give up whatever you had agreed to get from the contract. It wasn't a known fact because almost nobody in the history of the magical world had willingly given up what they'd demanded from a contract, why would they?

Voldemort knew it would save Harry, but the contract had to be dissolved completely on his side, which meant giving up everything he'd demanded while still having to live up to his end of the bargain he'd made with Harry. He was almost positive Harry would feel the contract when it broke and that meant the young man would know he was free. Even if the death eaters did find him, or Harry managed to escape on his own, he wouldn't come back here, he had no reason to. He would know that his loved ones would be kept safe from harm regardless of what he did and he'd leave, get away from the war and be free, why wouldn't he?

The decision was hard for Voldemort, either way he'd lose Harry forever and Harry dying might very well cancel both ends of the contract and leave Voldemort free to do as he wanted again. Was that really such a good outcome though? With Harry around he'd started to become a better person again, without the contract to hold him to his agreement he would have no reason at all not to slip back into his mad, murderous self. The list of people he had to keep safe was small but it gave him a reason not to just stalk through towns and villages killing everyone in sight. If he started that again he didn't think he'd ever be able to stop.

The thread pulled tighter and Voldemort made his decision. Regardless of anything else he couldn't bring himself to cause Harry's death. The young man had come to mean more to him than he could ever describe and he just couldn't let him die. Calling up the magical contract he terminated his end and felt the thread that had been threatening Harry fall away.

Desolation filled him and he dropped back down onto the bed, wrapping his body around Nagini who had somehow slept through everything. It was strange, he'd expected some magical fireworks like there had been when the contract was created but there was nothing, it just felt … broken, it matched how he felt inside.

He would still search for Harry, he wouldn't leave him in Dumbledore's clutches. Even if he didn't care for him Harry knew far too much about Voldemort's plans and he couldn't allow the old coot to get a hold of that information. He waited until nightfall and rose heavy hearted from the bed, hoping his desolation wouldn't be obvious to those around him.

There was no fooling Nagini though, awoke as he rose this time and immediately sensed his sadness. "Tom, what is wrong?"

He didn't answer her, couldn't answer her. She cared as much for Harry as he did and he just couldn't bring himself to tell her that the boy would be lost to them forever.

"Nothing, love. Let's get dressed and go and see what the death eaters found out today," he replied, shuffling sadly to the bathroom.

She didn't push him for an explanation, probably because she knew it would make him snappy, and he was grateful. When this was all over he'd tell her the truth, right now he just couldn't.

XX

Harry suffered against the constant barrage of spells, his strength quickly waning. He kept the old bastard out of his head, but every attempt to breach his mind created more cracks in his mental shields that took increasing amounts of energy he didn't have to repair. The attacks were awful, the pain intolerable and the hunger and thirst were making him dizzy. What he found worse than all of this though was the separation from Voldemort.

He missed the man's presence so much, it was like an ache in his chest that he couldn't relieve or ignore no matter what else was going on around him. It was causing him more distress than the torture and he kept begging in his mind for the lord to come and find him. He knew that wasn't going to be easy though, the castle Dumbledore had him locked up in was one he'd never seen or heard of before and he'd overheard the old headmaster telling someone that no one knew about this place except for him. It was apparently warded so heavily it couldn't be seen until you'd opened the door.

So his chances of rescue were slim to none, but he had to hope that they'd find him, without that hope he had nothing. He fought so hard to hold on, throwing every tiny spec of strength his body possessed into his magical shields, but it was taking its toll and he could feel it. If they didn't rescue him soon there wouldn't be much left to rescue.

As much pain as he was in physically as well as emotionally it took him a few moments to realise the onslaught had stopped. He had only moments to enjoy the lull before he felt something strange. It was like a magical rope had been tied around him that he hadn't noticed and it was suddenly cut. He caste his mind about trying to work out what had happened and out of nowhere the answer came to him.

Voldemort had severed their contract. Harry was no longer bound to the Dark Lord.

He should have felt relieved but he didn't, all he felt was despair. Obviously, since he'd been captured, Voldemort no longer considered him a worthy right hand. He'd thought after the way the lord had been treating him over the last couple of weeks that perhaps he was starting to care for Harry. He'd known then that it had been a fools hope, but he'd held on to it anyway because it felt so good to feel cared for. That hope was gone now, completely. If he wasn't worthy to serve the dark lord there was no way the man could possibly be looking for him. He was going to die here, at the mercy of the headmaster, nobody was going to look for him.

"Harry are you okay?" He heard Ginny ask.

"Harry have you come back to us at last?" Dumbledore asked with all the fake concern Harry imagined he could muster considering how frustrated he must be feeling.

He hadn't intended to talk to them at all, but the grief he felt in that moment was so great he couldn't help but lash out at the closest target, which was the headmaster. He screamed at the man to get out, wishing with all his strength that he could lash out with his magic and physically hurt the old man, but he was too weak. He was relieved when Molly ushered everyone out of the room and he could break down in peace.

He was never going to get out of here, he was never going to see Voldemort again, his time with the dark lord had meant nothing.

He'd exhausted his tears when Dumbledore slipped back into the room. He glared at the old coot, refusing to show any weakness in front of him. A spell he didn't recognise was shot at him and the headmaster left again, closing the door behind him. The spell didn't seem to have effected Harry until he tried to get a few minutes sleep … and found he couldn't.

If he'd hated the old bastard before he despised him now. He knew that without sleep Harry would weaken far quicker. Harry may be going to die in this place, but now he had even more reason to fight the old bastard until his dying breath.

XX

Ginny watched Harry endure Dumbledore's constant attempts at breaching his mind as well as the de-brainwashing spell the old headmaster caste on him that had him screaming in agony. She kept trying to tell herself that it was all for the best, that they were helping bring Harry back to himself, but as the hours passed, Harry continued to fight against the headmaster's intrusions and Dumbledore's attempts and spells seemed to only hurt Harry more and weaken him further, she couldn't help the doubts that snuck into her mind.

What if Harry was right? What if Dumbledore wasn't the good man she thought he was? What if he really was just wanting Harry back to use him as a lamb for slaughter? What if Ginny's family really was in on all of this and they weren't the good people she thought they were? If Harry were brainwashed surely the more time he spent away from the Dark Lord the more the effects should wear off and Harry should start to come back to himself. So why wasn't he?

She watched with the others, tears streaming from her eyes as Dumbledore tried once more to invade the Gryffindor's mind and Harry, panting and shaking, forced him out. Dumbledore tried to hide his anger at Harry's ability to keep him out but Ginny saw it. When he threw the de-brainwashing spell at the young man this time she saw the temper behind it and Harry screamed louder than he had before. They'd been at this for hours and they weren't getting anywhere, surely this couldn't be good for Harry's mind.

Apparently Ginny's mother agreed with her because she came forward then and suggested they take a break and let Harry recover a little. Ron tried to argue that it would simply give the dark lord's energy time to recuperate and their work so far would be for nothing, but Molly's glare was severe and it silenced both him and Dumbledore, who moved back away from Harry and sat down on a nearby chair.

The Weasley matriarch moved over to Harry's shaking, panting form with a cup of water and held it to his lips. Harry clamped his mouth shut and refused to drink it. Molly spoke to him soothingly, promising there was nothing in it, but Harry refused to give in.

"Harry, sweetheart, we're only trying to help you," Molly said softly, reaching out to gently stroke his face around that mask they hadn't been able to remove no matter how they tried. "You're not yourself, we're just trying to bring you back to who you really are."

Harry leant away from her touch, refusing to acknowledge her words at all and she pulled away with a sad sigh.

"You shouldn't be so rude to her, Harry, she's always been nice to you," Ron snarled at him from the other side of the room, prompting Hermione, Ginny and Molly to glare at him angrily.

"He's brainwashed, Ron, he's not doing this because he wants to," Hermione scolded.

"Maybe he's not brainwashed at all, maybe he's just being an ungrateful prat!" Ron argued back.

"How can you say that?!" Hermione demanded. "Harry's our friend."

"Not right now he's not. Right now he's Voldemort's little pet and I don't think he's brainwashed at all. I just think he couldn't handle the thought of having to fight Voldy and he took the cowards way out!" Ron snapped.

The fight continued around her, but Ginny's attention had turned to Harry who had gone rigid against the wall and appeared to be staring, wide eyed, at nothing.

"Harry, are you all right?" she asked, moving closer to him.

Somehow, even though she'd asked the question quietly, she'd drawn the attention of the rest of the room's occupants and they all turned to watch the boy.

Harry stayed like that for several moments, before a pained gasp escaped him and he slumped back down against the wall. He sat there for several moments, looking lost and Dumbledore immediately approached him, asking if he'd returned to them at last.

Harry didn't look up at them at all, but for the first time since his capture he spoke. "Get out," he demanded quietly.

"Harry-"

"Get out!" he snapped, interrupting the headmaster before he could say anymore. "I am not going to be your toy, not anymore! You will never get into my head again, I will not allow it, so get out, now! Leave me alone and don't come back. Get Out!" the last two words were screamed and Ginny could hear pain under the anger the boy directed at the headmaster. What had happened just now?

"Harry-" Dumbledore tried again, but once more Harry cut him off.

"Get out you lying, manipulative, old bastard!" he screamed and Molly ushered all of them from the room to leave Harry in peace for a while. Ginny was the last one out and as she left the room she glanced back to see Harry bent forward, as much as the shackles would allow, his body shaking with sobs.

XX

The next few days followed much the same pattern as the first and Harry, while seemingly more defeated after whatever had happened before he'd thrown them from the room, still refused to give in. Ginny's doubts grew stronger with each passing moment and she found herself watching her father, Percy, Ron and the order members, including Dumbledore, for signs that Harry had been right. She was frightened to come to a conclusion that scared her, a lot.

They didn't care. Not about Harry or anything that was happening to him, not at all. Her mother, Hermione, the twins and herself, watched what was happening with worry and pain, they watched what was going on with intensity, as if they were waiting for Harry to break and Dumbledore to win, not to see if Harry was back. Harry was growing weaker and weaker and he'd refused any food or drink since he'd arrived. There were now talks about force feeding him potions, something Molly had blatantly refused at the beginning but was now having to reconsider as she was concerned the young man was going to die.

When the fourth day came to an end and Dumbledore was called away, Ginny took one look at Harry's wasting form and came to a decision. She couldn't let this go on any longer. She'd wanted to help Harry, but this wasn't doing it and she wouldn't allow it to continue. She wanted a straight answer and she was going to get it, one way or another. She left the room and headed for Hermione's, where she knew the girl always headed when the attempted de-brainwashing was done for the day, to cry.

When she arrived she sat the girl down and told her everything Harry had said to her that night about Dumbledore and her family. Hermione was, of course, reluctant to believe it, but Ginny said there was one way to know for sure and asked if Hermione had any Verituserium. Hermione stared at her wide eyed for several moments, but eventually fished some out of her bag and she and Ginny headed downstairs to confront the family.

Her father was home as were Fred, George and Percy, and the entire family were sitting down to dinner.

"There you are, girls, I was just about to call for you," Molly said, beckoning them over to the table. Ginny cast a spell around the room that sealed all the exits and drew the attention of everybody in the room to her and Hermione. That was one good thing about hiding out in an old castle, there weren't a lot of ways out.

"Gin, what's going on?" Arthur asked.

Ginny held out the bottle of Verituserium.

"What is that?" Ron asked.

"It's Verituserium, and I'd like you, dad and Percy to drink some and have a little chat with the rest of us," she explained calmly, although anger was flooding her veins at the very thought that they might be part of this.

"And why ever would you want that?" Arthur asked.

"Because Harry told me a few very interesting things about you, Dumbledore and the order when we first met again, and while at first I thought it was all brainwashing, I'm not so convinced anymore." Ginny replied.

"What exactly did he say?" George asked.

"Does it matter? He was obviously lying," Ron snapped, but George silenced him with a glare.

"He said Dumbledore's plan was for him to die all along. That the man hadn't cared about him and only wanted him around to help rally the troops against the death eaters before being used as a lamb for slaughter and made into a martyr. He said Dumbledore told the prophecy in a public place knowing it would be heard and passed back to the dark lord to send the man crazy and bring about the first war, because more people would fight if they knew a baby had been targeted for death and that you three were all in on it. He said Ron was told to befriend him and he and Percy ordered to make him biased against Slytherin so there was no chance he would end up in there and not under Dumbledore's control and Ron's been guiding his actions ever since. He said you three are traitors and now I want to know, is it true?" She asked accusingly.

"Ginny, how could you say that about your father and siblings?" Molly demanded, appalled.

"Look at them, mum," Ginny replied. "They don't care about Harry. We're all been here, watching and waiting, hoping for a good outcome. But not them, they're just watching and waiting for Dumbledore to break through and get into Harry's head. You can see it in their eyes when we're all up there and it's the first thing dad and Percy ask about when they come home. They aren't at all concerned that Harry's not had food or water for days, they don't care that he's being hurt and tortured, they just care about the outcome," she explained, before turning back to study her father. "And besides, if they have nothing to hide they shouldn't mind having a few drops of this to prove their sincerity, should they?"

"We're not going to take anything because we're not the traitors here," Percy snapped.

"Then prove it," Ginny demanded, holding out the bottle.

"You know I think maybe we should have someone look at you, Ginny," Arthur said gently, moving to stand up from his chair. "Maybe you were more effected by your time in the dark lord's clutches that we originally thought. Perhaps we should take you to St Mungos," he suggested, moving toward her.

"Oh no you don't," Ginny said, holding her wand out in front of her. "You're not shutting me up that easily. I saw Madame Pomphrey and she said I was fine, you're not using that excuse to let Dumbledore dig into my brain too." Arthur stopped approaching and she waved him back into his chair. "Why won't you take the potion, dad? What are you afraid of?" she asked challengingly.

"Why don't you take some of the potion and prove to us that you aren't a traitor?" Ron demanded.

"Gladly, as soon as you do," Ginny replied. "I have nothing to hide, Ron, what about you?" she asked.

"Arthur, is any of this true?" Molly asked softly and Ginny looked round to see her mother's worried gaze moving from Arthur, to Ron to Percy.

"Of course it's not, Molly, how could you even say that?" Arthur asked, a hurt expression on his face.

"Then drink the potion and prove it," Fred said, standing up along with George and moving to stand with Ginny, Hermione and Molly. "Ginny's right none of you have been worried about Harry at all in any of this. If she's wrong about her accusations you should have no reason not do as she asks."

"Fred, how dare you doubt us like this," Percy snarled. "We're family."

"Drink the potion then," George replied softly. "Family need to be able to trust each other after all."

The three still seated at the table glanced nervously at each other and when no answer was forthcoming Ginny spoke again. "You won't will you? Because Harry was right, about all of it, wasn't he?"

Arthur opened and closed his mouth several times before seemingly giving up and hanging his head with a sigh. "There was no other choice," the man said, barely above a whisper. Ginny was stunned silent while all around her sounds of unhappy shock echoed from Hermione, Molly and the twins.

"Arthur, how could you?" Molly gasped, the hurt and anger audible in her tone.

"There was no other choice, Molly, the boy has a part of Voldemort's soul in his scar. He has to die or the Dark Lord will never be defeated," Arthur tried to explain calmly.

Molly backed away from the table, shaking her head as tears filled her eyes. "You betrayed us," she accused.

"No, I did this for us, for our family. If there had been any other way don't you think I would have found it? that Dumbledore would have found it?" Arthur argued.

The tears slipped from Molly's eyes and she levelled her husband with a glare. "There's always another way," she insisted.

"Not this time there's not," Arthur insisted, standing up from his chair and moving toward her. "You know what 'you know who' is capable of and he came back once. If we don't destroy all the pieces of his soul he'll just keep coming back and Harry is one of those pieces. We've lived too long and seen too much to still be so idealistic about these things," he insisted.

Molly pulled her wand out and pointed it at him. "Don't you take another step closer to me, Arthur Weasley!" she snarled and he stopped his approach. "I will never believe that the only way to win this war is to kill a child! Harry is a part of our family and I will not allow anyone to hurt him any further, not even you."

"He's not our family, Molly," Arthur argued back. "I know you care for the boy, but he is not ours. You have to distance yourself from him, love, you're only going to end up hurt."

"No," Molly argued. "No I will not. That boy may not be our blood, but I couldn't love him any more if he were and I won't let you hurt him." With a flick of her wand she cast a binding spell on Arthur and before Percy or Ron could react the twins had done the same to them.

"We need to get Harry out of here," Ginny said, moving to head back up the stairs to the tower where Harry was still tied up.

"You two stay with them," Molly ordered the twins and she and Hermione followed Ginny up the stairs. When they reached the room it was to find Harry already half freed by Luna, who it seemed had somehow managed to breach the tower without them knowing while they were downstairs. She pointed her wand at them, but Ginny immediately held up her hands in surrender.

"We want to help," she insisted and Luna eyed them speculatively before allowing them to approach. As soon as Harry was properly free Luna coaxed him to drink several potions she had in a small bag by her side. Harry took them from her without argument and when the last was gone he looked over at her and asked.

"How did you find me?"

"I can always find you," Luna replied cryptically, helping him to his feet. Hermione took his other side for support and they helped him over to a chair.

"We're sorry, Harry," the brunette Gryffindor apologised quietly as they lowered him down to sit. The pair of them got to work on healing the injuries he'd sustained from his bonds while Molly called up a plate of food and some water. Harry didn't say anything back to Hermione, keeping his attention on Luna and when Molly approached him with her offerings he didn't look at her either.

"Please, Harry dear, we're sorry. We thought you weren't yourself, we were only trying to help you. Surely you must be hungry and thirsty after all this time, please eat something," Molly implored, holding the plate out to him.

He looked up at her then and Ginny could clearly see the wounded, betrayed, hurt look in his eyes. "Did you know?" he asked quietly.

"No, Harry dear, we didn't. It was only when Ginny came down and confronted Arthur and the others just now that we became aware," Molly explained.

"We truly thought he was trying to help you, Harry, and honestly, if you were in our positions, wouldn't you have found your actions a little odd?" Hermione asked. "I mean this is Voldemort we're talking about, you and he were enemies last we heard, we don't know what happened to change that. To us you just disappeared, seemingly kidnapped, and suddenly you're working with him, what would you have though?"

Harry looked over at Hermione for several moments before turning back to Molly and reaching out to take the food and water from her. Without a word Luna waved her wand over it and told Harry it was clean before returning her attention to what she'd been doing previously. Harry thanked her quietly, as well as thanking Molly, before taking a sip of water and beginning to eat slowly. He only managed half the food before he couldn't fit anymore in his stomach, but he drank the entire glass of water before handing the cup and plate back to Molly with a quiet thank you.

"We really need to get you out of here, Harry," Luna said, she and Hermione done with his injuries. "Dumbledore could be back any time and we don't want him to catch you on the way out."

Harry nodded, turning to face Ginny and the others. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "Dumbledore is going to realise you helped me escape, it's not safe for you here anymore."

"I know a safe place you can go," Luna said quietly and held out a small shell decorated with beads. "It's a small cottage in Wales nobody knows about, tap the shell three times with a wand and it will take you there," she explained.

"You should go with them," Harry told the blonde girl softly.

"No, I want to go with you," Luna argued softly.

"And I will be happy for you to, I promise, but I can't just show up at the Manor with you, I need to tell Voldemort first," Harry soothed. "Do you have another portkey to that place?" he asked.

"Yes," Luna replied, holding out a piece of stick decorated with ribbon.

"I'll take this one with me and once I've talked everything through with him I'll come and find you, okay, I promise," Harry said.

There was a tightness in his tone, but Ginny couldn't tell if it was because he was still upset and weak from his imprisonment or if something else was going on. Luna looked at him searchingly for several moments before agreeing and handing over the other portkey.

"The thestral outside will take you back to your lord. I will see you soon?" she asked.

"Of course. Thank you, Luna," Harry said sincerely and pocketed the portkey before turning back to the others. "I know you were only trying to help. I understand, I do, but it's going to take me a little time to forgive you for helping him hurt me like that, especially you," he said, turning his attention to Ginny who looked away ashamed.

"Of course," she whispered.

"Thank you for helping me, I'll see you all in a few days," he said, before heading over to the window with Luna who whistled melodiously for several seconds. Ginny didn't see anything there, but she could hear the beat of powerful wings outside. Harry climbed out of the window with Luna's help and disappeared into the night.

"All right then, are we ready to go?" Luna asked.

Ginny had a moment to notice how different Luna seemed to normal before the girl was directing them all to gather their belongings and retrieve the twins. They all went about their tasks efficiently, aware Dumbledore could be back any moment. As it happened Luna activated the port key just as Dumbledore made an attempt to get through the seal Ginny had placed on the door. She knew it wouldn't take long for him to breech, but they'd be well and truly gone by the time he realised what had happened.

XX

Harry has escaped and Voldemort cared for him enough to terminate his end of the contract to save him. Did anyone forget about that contractural clause before it was mentioned again? So he's on his way back to Voldey and Ginny and the others are with Luna, don't worry we'll see them again soon.

I've had a couple of reviews mention they're surprised that for once Molly and Ginny aren't the baddies. Honestly it annoys me that they always are. Molly is the loving mother sort, hurting a child would be a huge no no in my opinion. Anyway this whole women always being evil in male dominated stories annoys me so not in this one.

Oh and in between all this I've created another small human. He's almost 8 weeks old and an absolute buddha, I love him to bits.

Hope to see you soon xoxo


	14. Chapter 14

Hello, I'm back! The response to this story has been overwhelming, thank you all so much! All your lovely reviews and comments have urged me on to get the new chapter out to you as quickly as possible, not an easy task when I have two little people and a husband vying for my attention, and I've had to forego a little sleep, but your positive feedback makes the sacrifices worthwhile. So here we go, I hope you love it.

Reunited

Tom paced his throne room, his agitation obvious to anyone who may happen to walk through the door right now, not that anyone would. He'd sent them all away because he couldn't stand their presence anymore. They'd searched everywhere for Harry, all of them had, including Tom himself, and there was no sign of him. Lucius and the others in the ministry had done all they could to find out anything useful, and Remus, who was still recovering from his injuries after the battle, and Severus had been searching every secret hideout they'd ever known Dumbledore to use; all of which had turned up nothing.

He wasn't giving up, he was going to find Harry no matter how long it took, but with each second that passed his resolve crumbled a little more. What was the point really? Even if he found Harry he couldn't keep him. The only way to ensure he wouldn't leave would be to lock him in the dungeon and Tom wouldn't do that.

He'd been trying so hard to become the kind of man Harry could care about and he'd been doing well, better than he'd ever imagined he could do, but it had still been a long way from where he needed to be before he told Harry how he felt. It had been a long shot, but at least there had been a hope there. If Harry wasn't around long enough to see that Tom could grow as a person and be kind he'd never feel anything but wariness and fear toward him, so really what was the point in looking for him at all?

He stopped pacing and closed his eyes, clenching his fists at his sides and struggling to push the pain and desolation away. He was Lord Voldemort damn it! He was the most powerful wizard ever to exist and he'd done things other people could only dream of accomplishing. He was not going to fall apart over the loss of one young man.

He. Was. Not!

The stinging in his eyes said otherwise and he clenched his fists tighter, revelling in the pain of his long nails piercing his skin and the blood beginning to flow down the inside of his palms. He would control this, he would! Nobody was going to make him feel something he didn't want to feel!

"Tom!" Nagini hissed urgently from beside him and he opened his eyes to see her slithering quickly toward the door. Surprised by the pace at which she was moving and the urgency he'd been able to hear in her voice, he turned to see what had drawn her attention; only to stop stunned as his eyes fell on the dishevelled and trembling but altogether beautiful form of Harry Potter. The raven haired young man was standing in the door way, looking up at him warily, as if unsure whether or not he should be there.

"My Lord," the beautiful Gryffindor greeted him softly, and before he'd even had a chance to process what he was doing Tom had crossed the room and pulled the young man into his arms.

His mind caught up to him moments later and he was shocked by his own actions, then Harry's arms slipped around his waist and he didn't care. They held each other for what felt like hours, Tom struggling to come to terms with all the emotions he was feeling while simultaneously pushing aside the urge to carry the gorgeous thing to his room and ravish him until morning; something he'd never really done or wanted to do to anyone before.

When he had his emotions under control for the time being and he felt like he could speak at last, he whispered, "Are you hurt?"

"No, My Lord," Harry whispered back.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, My Lord," Harry replied, even though the trembling of his small frame belied the truth of his words.

"Harry, you have been in the clutches of Dumbledore and the order for several days and you have returned to me shaking and looking as if you haven't eaten in a month, so I ask you again, are you all right?" Tom asked, in a stern but not unkind voice.

Harry nodded against his shoulder, "They hurt me, a lot. Dumbledore was using a spell to try and un-brainwash me, or so he said, and it was awful, worse than the cruciatus, but I don't think it's left me with any damage. I'm fine now just …." Harry took a deep, shaking breath before whispering so quietly Tom barely heard him, "Just don't let me go, please."

Tom took a deep breath of his own, pushing aside the feelings and urges those words brought about within him. Not stopping to think too much he scooped Harry up into his arms and carried him from the room, Nagini slithering along close behind. He needed to take care of the trembling young man and the first step was getting him cleaned up. They reached his bedroom rather quickly and he strode in, closing the door behind him and spelling it shut. He studiously ignored the bed that seemed to be beckoning him and headed for the bathroom. A flick of his wand had the bath filling and another spelled everything Harry would need to follow him over to its edge.

He lowered Harry down to sit on the side of the tub and gently pried the Gryffindor's arms from around his neck, where Harry had moved them when Tom had picked him up, to rest on his shoulders. He knelt down in front of him, putting them at eye level of each other, and gently pulled the mask away to reveal the young man's beautiful face. He spelled it clean and sent it to the bathroom basin before turning back to study Harry's face for any sign of damage. His normally bright, sparkling eyes looked tired and his face looked slightly hollow and drawn, a sign of malnutrition, but no signs of any other damage.

"Did you sleep at all while you were there?" Tom asked softly.

"Not really, he cast a spell on me to keep me from sleeping more than a few moments at a time. I think he was hoping it would break me quicker," Harry replied softly and Tom had to take a moment to push aside the anger those words produced. How dare the old bastard!

The bath was full by that point so he spelled the taps off and realising he hadn't done so already be lifted his sleeve and sent a general message out to his death eaters to stand down and return to their homes. He turned his attention back to Harry then and told him he should have a bath before they called a mediwizard to examine him for damage. He then asked if Harry wanted him to leave and Harry immediately shook his head.

"No, please stay with me," Harry pleaded quietly and even though he knew it was going to be exceptionally difficult to be so close to Harry while he was naked, he agreed. He made sure Harry was all right to stand up before pulling back and turning his attention to the bath while Harry undressed. He placed one of Severus' healing bath balls in the water, which immediately started to bubble and turn a bright green colour. He averted his eyes as Harry climbed into the tub and didn't turn back until he heard the water settle around him. He was grateful that the herbs from the healing ball obscured his view of Harry's body beneath the water.

Tom perched himself on the edge of the tub then and called over the soap and a sponge so he'd be able to hand them to Harry when the boy needed them.

Harry sat in the water for several moments, his eyes closed and his breathing deep, most likely enjoying the feel of the water caressing his skin after so many days of not experiencing it. Eventually he opened them again and looked up at Tom who held out the soap and sponge for him to take. He took it with a grateful 'thank you' and began to scrub his body, something Tom had to struggle not to picture in his head or wish it was his hands doing instead of Harry's. When Harry washed his hair Tom's reaction was similar and he immediately regretted his decision to give in to Harry and remain while he bathed, even if he hadn't wanted to let Harry out of his sight either.

Harry rinsed his hair and with nothing further to do he sat back in the water to relax, his eyes once more closed. For a long time there was silence in the room and Tom took the time to enjoy his view of Harry relaxed and calm and sort through some of the emotions he'd pushed aside when he'd first seen Harry in his throne room.

Harry had come back. Did he know the contract had been broken or hadn't he felt it? Should Tom tell him? If he knew then why did he come back? He certainly seemed happy to see Tom and that was probably the biggest surprise of all.

"I thought you might not want me to come back," Harry's quiet voice brought his attention back to the present. Focusing on him properly again Tom realised that the young man's face didn't appear as relaxed as it had before.

"Why would you think that?" He asked, confused by the Gryffindor's words.

"I felt the contract sever," Harry replied. "I thought … because I'd been captured … perhaps you no longer considered me a worthy right hand and … didn't want me to return. I was afraid … coming back … that you'd tell me to leave as soon as you saw me," he explained quietly.

"That is not why I severed the contract, Harry," Tom replied, deciding he'd be honest with the young man who currently looked so fragile. "While I was trying to work out where you'd been taken I remembered the clause in the contract that demanded you remain by my side unless I specifically ordered you to be elsewhere. I could feel that thread tightening around you and I knew if you weren't found soon it would likely kill you. I terminated my end of the contract for your protection," he explained, pleased to see the tension leave the boy's face.

"Oh," was all Harry said in reply, but he certainly seemed calmer than he had since his arrival at the manor.

Than answered one of Tom's questions, Harry definitely knew the contract had been terminated. The rest of his questions beckoned and he needed to know the answer to them, it would drive him to distraction if he didn't ask.

"Were you aware that it was only my end of the contract I had severed?" he asked the Gryffindor softly.

"I wasn't sure for a while. I was so focused on keeping Dumbledore out that I couldn't feel the rest of the contract still in place until I was freed and the spells unwoven from around me. Then I knew," Harry replied.

"So you must have known you were free and I could do no damage to your loved ones as I was still bound to our agreement. Why did you return? I didn't expect you to," he asked softly.

Harry finally opened his eyes and looked up at Tom. He studied him for several moments before moving from the side of the bath where he'd been relaxing, to where Tom was sitting and leant on the edge.

"I came back because I wanted to," he replied and Tom could see the sincerity shining in his eyes.

"Why?" Tom asked before he could stop himself.

Harry looked down and his face took on an instant look of concern as his gaze fell on Tom's hands. "You're hurt," he said worriedly and Tom looked down at his palms, remembering all of a sudden that he'd dug his nails into his hands in anger just before Harry had shown up. The bleeding had stopped but there was still blood on his hands and the nail marks were still present in his skin. He opened his mouth to tell Harry it was nothing, only to stop when the young man's soft hands reached out to take his own and brought them down to the water. He gently washed the blood away and Tom was surprised by how greatly such a simple touch affected him.

As soon as the blood was gone he felt the warm feeling of healing magic flowing through his palms and very quickly the damage was gone. Harry held his hands softly, studying his handiwork and Tom couldn't stop himself from moving his fingers to curl around younger man's. Harry paused, and Tom was wondering if he'd frightened the younger man. He was surprised beyond all belief when Harry gripped his hands back and brought one up to his lips to press a gentle kiss to the back of the knuckles.

"Harry," Tom whispered, unable to hide his surprise.

"I came back because I want to be here, I want to be with you," Harry confessed quietly, his eyes still studying their joined hands. Tom's heart beat kicked up several notches and the desire he'd been trying to quell soared through his veins. Harry wanted him. He hadn't expected that to happen no matter how much he hoped, but he wasn't going to argue. The Gryffindor was naked, in his bathroom, he was most likely feeling overly emotional because of his capture and he was only 16. Tom knew he should pull away and ask Harry to dress and return to his room so they could discuss this in the morning with a level head, but he didn't want to. He pulled his hands gently from Harry's, took hold of the young man's face and brought their lips together.

From Harrys' reaction Tom could only conclude he hadn't been expecting that at all. Still, after a few seconds the Gryffindor was kissing him back, his hands slipping up and around Tom's neck and into his hair. The Dark Lord was so overwhelmed by the sensation of finally having Harry's lips against his own, and he guessed Harry was as well, because neither of them noticed that they were overbalancing until Tom fell into the very large bathtub with a loud splash.

They pulled apart and came back to the surface, Tom immediately checking if Harry was all right as he'd practically landed on him. Harry promised he was fine and Tom looked down at his now soaking robes.

"Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to join me, I guess now I don't have to," Harry stated so matter of factly that Tom couldn't help the laughter that suddenly bubbled in his throat. It had been years since he'd laughed in a way that wasn't directed at the suffering of others, but here he was, in a bathtub with a naked Harry Potter, laughing. Harry joined in soon after and for so long the pair of them just laughed. Tom was pleasantly surprised at how good it felt to do so after such a long time.

When at last their laughter died down, he reached out for Harry's lovely body and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his hair.

"I'd best leave you to finish your bath alone, dearest, I do not believe I'd be able to keep my hands from wandering were I to join you," he told the Gryffindor softly.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Harry asked quietly, cuddling into Tom's chest.

"You're only 16, Harry, and you've just been through something horrible. Your emotions are bound to be mixed up and I will not take advantage of that; it wouldn't be right," he replied gently.

"I'm all right, really," Harry assured him. "Yes I … I missed you while I was captured … a lot … but I wanted you before I was taken away and that hasn't changed now. Do you … I mean … do you not want me too?" he asked nervously and with a hint of sadness.

Tom looked down at Harry to find his beautiful green eyes looking up at him with so much nervous self-consciousness it took everything in him to resist. He sighed heavily, "More than you know, Harry," he replied honestly. "But this is a matter of appropriate behaviour. I may be a monster, but there are some lines I have never and will never cross. I will make you mine, it is what we both want so I will see that it happens, but right now you need rest and a healer; nothing is more important than ensuring you are well."

He held Harry a little longer then kissed his forehead and pulled away. "Come, let's get us both dried off and I will send for the healers," he said, helping Harry out of the bath and spelling them both dry. He astutely avoided looking at the young man while he dressed, using that time instead to call for Draco, Severus and Dimitrov to come and attend to Harry's healing. As soon as Harry was dressed Tom lead him back to his room, not Harry's, and sat him down on the bed. Harry looked ready to fall asleep where he sat so it was a good thing Severus, Draco and Dimitrov were prompt.

Severus hid it well, but Tom could clearly see how happy and relieved the potions master was to have the young man back.

"How's Remus, is he okay?" Harry asked Severus tiredly as they were looking over him.

"He is fine, faring far better than you," Severus replied, using Legimency to scan Harry's mind for damage. He must have found some because he was growling and sifting through potions before Tom could ask what he'd found.

"He has mental damage?" Tom asked.

"Yes, a good deal of it," Severus replied angrily. "He'll need a three day healing sleep to recover completely."

Tom heard Harry sigh, but the young man didn't argue at all. Dimitrov and Draco finished their own scans of Harry and dug out several more potions for the boy to ingest. Harry drank them all with barely a grimace, a true sign of just how tired he was.

"I will begin the healing sleep now, would you like me to move Harry to his room?" Severus asked.

"No, he can remain where he is for now," Tom replied, pulling the blankets back and helping Harry to settle under them.

As Severus was casting the charm Harry turned to Draco. "In my robes there's a shell, with crystals on the top, it's a portkey to Luna."

"Thank you," Draco replied with a soft smile and Harry was drifting off moments later.

Tom watched the boy's breathing settle before turning to look at his gathered healers. "Will there be permanent harm?"

"No, my Lord," Severus replied, "although the old coot did plenty of damage. It seems Harry was strong enough to defend against the bulk of the onslaught."

"Nothing physically either, My Lord," Draco replied, Dimitrov nodding along with him. Malnourished and dehydrated, but not as badly as I would expect considering how long he was captured. I can only surmise that those who aided in his escape also provided him with some form of nourishment and fluids before he got back here. There was no physical torture inflicted, it seems to have all been mental."

Tom nodded to his healers and thanked them all before sending them back to their beds. As soon as they had cleared the room he locked the door and stripped off his robes. He changed into Pyjamas and headed back to the bed, pulling the covers back and sliding in beside Harry. He smiled to himself as he felt Nagini uncurl her body from around Harry's so Tom could wrap his arms around the smaller man and pull him close. Nagini's tail moved to cocoon his back then and he looked over Harry's head to see her forked tongue peek out from under the covers behind the younger man's neck. He lay back down, wondering just which of them Nagini loved more.

He pulled the younger man close and settled in to sleep, savouring the feeling of having him in his arms. He'd been so sure Harry would never come back once he realised that he didn't have to. But here he was, back in the manor and in his arms … and he wanted Tom. He'd hoped for this but not once had he dared imagine it actually happening. It was like all the dreams he never knew he had were coming true. Now he just needed to bring about the ones he had been aware of, the first of which was killing that damned, meddlesome, old man. Dumbledore would pay for hurting his Harry.

Yes, he would pay dearly.

XX

Draco made sure everything was sorted and that Dimitrov required nothing further from him before he activated the port key, the way he knew all of Luna's port keys worked, and found himself landing shortly after outside a lovely, little, stone cottage. He walked forward, feeling the wards flow around him like ribbons of silk. He hadn't even reached the door when it burst open and Luna flew out, throwing herself immediately into his arms.

"I've been so worried about you," she cried.

"I know, I'm sorry," Draco apologised, holding her tightly. "We've been trying to find you but no one knew where you were."

She pulled back and kissed him, her hands sliding up around his neck. He kissed her back, letting her know just how much he'd missed her and had been longing to see her. When they pulled apart breathlessly a short time later he slipped a hand up to gently wipe the tears from her face. She smiled and leant into his touch, her lovely silver eyes shining with love and relief. He kissed her softly and brought their foreheads together, revelling in the feeling of having her close again.

"I want to come back with you," she said after a few moments of silence.

"That would mean serving the dark Lord, are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes. I want to be where you are and I want to help you and Harry," Luna replied.

"All right. He's asked to see you and I promised I'd extend the invitation when we found you. There's no pressure though and you don't have to join the dark lord for Harry and I or to be with me. I know where you are now, I can come and see you all the time," Draco reassured her.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to and I had a dream the other night that I don't think should be ignored. I'm coming with you," Luna said decisively.

"Luna, what are you doing?" Draco and Luna both looked round at the sound of Xeno's voice. He was standing in the doorway watching them, a look of concern on his face. "You aren't honestly going to the dark lord are you? We've done all we can to stay out of the fighting, why would you willingly put yourself in the middle of it now?"

Luna approached her father, reaching forward and taking his hands softly. "I have to, daddy, it's where I need to be, I've seen it. Neither of us ever wanted to be tangled up in the war, but sometimes fate has different plans for us," she explained gently. "Besides, the sooner Dumbledore and the order are gone the sooner they'll stop harassing you about joining their cause and no, that's not the reason I'm doing this, it's just an added incentive," she added when it looked like he was going to say something.

Xeno sighed. "I know how strong your gifts are, Luna and I know they shouldn't be ignored. I will go and pack some things." he turned to head inside the house but her hand caught his.

"I don't expect you to come with me, daddy, this is my mission not yours," she said sternly.

Xeno smiled, "I know you don't expect it, Luna love, but you're all I have in this world. If you're going to the dark lord I am coming to protect you, in any way I can. Let's get packed and go shall we." he gave her hand a gentle pat and walked into the house.

Luna watched him go for a minute before turning back to Draco and holding out her hand. "Come and help me pack," she asked softly.

Draco took her hand and followed her inside. In a lot of ways he was pleased Xeno was coming with Luna, she'd be much happier with him there. That being said he hoped the man knew what he was in for.

XX

Being a Longbottom hadn't always served Neville well. He'd been teased about his name, particularly at Hogwarts, and growing up in that family, particularly with his grandmother as his guardian, had pretty much destroyed any self confidence he'd ever had. It certainly hadn't been an easy life for him being the Longbottom heir.

Over the last few weeks however, his family name had become very useful to him.

When he'd been moved to Grimauld place by Dumbledore and the order he'd had absolutely no idea as to why they could possibly want him there. Everyone knew Harry was missing, that had been impossible to hide from the papers for long, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Dumbledore would want him to step in and take over Harry's part of the prophecy.

When Harry's ghost had appeared to him that night, if that really was what had happened, and told him so he'd had a hard time believing what he'd heard. When he'd awoken the following morning he'd been convinced that he'd dreamed it all and gone down to breakfast shaking his head at his mind's crazy machinations.

Then Dumbledore had sat him down and spoken to him about the prophecy and Neville had started to wonder whether he was still dreaming. He'd done what ghost Harry had told him to do and asked questions, many of which Dumbledore had sidestepped as Dumbledore liked to do and the conversation had ended with Neville saying he'd think about it.

After that he'd been more convinced than ever that something was going on and he needed to find out as much as he could. This was where the Longbottom name really started to help him. Kreacher, the house elf that cared for Grimauld place, hated anyone who either wasn't pure blooded or who he considered a blood traitor. So he hated Dumbledore and the order and really wanted nothing to do with them. When he'd seen Neville refuse to immediately agree with Dumbledore he'd decided that Neville wasn't as much of a blood traitor as the others and since he was a pure blood Kreacher had taken a liking to Neville.

He brought him treats and snacks whenever he wanted them, told him any bits of information he overheard, and best of all he'd shown Neville all the secret passageways that ran through Grimauld place and allowed him to move through the house completely unseen and unheard. He'd been alone in the house for several days, the others having left to do something but not told him what that was, and he'd been bored brainless. He'd done all of his summer homework and then decided to start mapping the secret passageways as a way to occupy his time.

It was this exploration that found him hiding in a secret compartment in Grimauld's large dining room when Dumbledore, Ron, Percy and Arthur came thundering through the doors of Grimauld that night and headed straight for the library where they liked to have their meetings. Not wanting to miss what it was about Neville moved through the walls until he reached the library and waited to hear what was said from behind a large tapestry, which was surprisingly easy to see through.

"Close the door and I'll ward the room, we wouldn't want Mr Longbottom to hear this conversation," Dumbledore said and Neville watched as Arthur closed the door and Dumbledore warded the room, the ward wrapping around behind Neville so he could still hear the conversation.

"Are we secure?" Arthur asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied.

"Good."

For a moment there was silence, then Dumbledore exploded. "How could you lose him? After all the trouble we went through to capture him, how could you just lose him?"

"It wasn't our fault, Ginny was the one who started all the trouble," Ron protested.

"So why didn't you shut her up as soon as she started talking about it?" Dumbledore demanded.

"We tried, but she got into the other's heads and we were outnumbered," Percy replied.

"Do you realise the jeopardy our plans are in now? All it will take is one of them to go to the prophet and my position within the ministry will crumble. We have to get to the prophet first and declare them enemies of the ministry."

"But then they will send aurors after them," Arthur protested.

"I fail to see how that's a problem," Dumbledore argued.

"The problem is that you are talking about our family," Arthur argued back. "They're confused and not understanding what's going on properly. We need to talk to them about this, not have them hunted down and imprisoned!"

"And that is exactly what we will tell the prophet," Dumbledore soothed. "That they were fed misinformation and that they are not to be harmed, just brought in peacefully for questioning. It has to be done though, Arthur, you know that, we cannot let them jeopardise all that we've worked so hard to achieve. If we don't do what we set out to do the Dark Lord will never be gone and I will never reach the position I need to attain within the ministry to change the world for the better."

"No, I know," Arthur agreed with a sigh.

"I'll draught a letter to the prophet tonight and we'll send it in a few days if we've not found the others by then," Dumbledore decided. "Agreed?" the other three nodded. "Right let's move on. Mr Longbottom, have any of you managed to talk to him further about being part of our plans?"

"I tried a little before we left, I think he'd just too scared," Ron replied.

"We need him to fight. If we don't have a "Chosen one" to fight for us a lot of our support will vanish. We need to find a way to convince him."

"We could always try the whole 'Your parents fought for us' line, perhaps it will help," Percy suggested.

"Maybe, but I think he's too much of a chicken," Ron said.

"It's true," Arthur agreed. "It's hard to believe he's Alice and Frank's child, he's nothing like them."

"Imagine if we told him the original plans for Harry, I think the boy would wet himself and faint," Percy said and the others chuckled quietly. "Even if he agrees we'll never be able to train him up in time."

"Perhaps not, but the only thing more powerful than a champion is a mater," Dumbledore replied, and Neville had heard enough. He had to get out of here. He had more courage than any of them realised and he'd prove it. The group decided to retire for the night and Neville used the moment Dumbledore un-warded the room to slip out of his hiding place and back into the walls. He called to Kreacher to take him up to his room, threw some clothes in a bag and shrank it down to fit in his pocket before asking Kreacher to get him away from the house.

The elf then asked where Neville wanted him to take him and he suddenly realised he had no idea where to go. He sat on the bed for a moment trying to think of a safe place for the elf to take him, but all the while he was worried that any minute someone was going to come up to his room to check on him or something of the sort. It was when he heard creaking on the floorboards outside his room that he began to really panic. If they came in now and saw him trying to get away he'd never escape them.

Then, as if a switch had flipped in his brain, he remembered something Luna had said to him one day while he was taking a walk with her around the lake. Most people thought she was strange, but Neville really liked her. She didn't talk down to him or condescend him and while other people thought she talked rubbish he knew that she just said things her own way and when you really listened you could follow her words perfectly.

He'd been upset that day about having to go home for the summer and she'd told him he could join them in their holiday house if he wanted. She'd said no one else knew about it so he wouldn't be found, not in so many words but he'd caught her meaning. Where was it that she said it was …? Wales, out in the country side. Wales wasn't that big of a country, surely if he went to wales and asked around enough he'd find it eventually. He'd withdrawn a bit of money from his Gringotts account prior to coming to Grimauld place in case he needed anything while he was there, or in case he wasn't back in time to buy his school books. That money should help him find food and shelter, at least for a few days.

With his decision made he asked Kreacher to take him to an area in country Wales where there would be places for him to stay. He knew Luna and her father had disappeared, some of the order had been talking about it earlier in the holidays, he could only hope that they'd gone to the house in Wales and that he'd find them there, otherwise he had no idea what he was going to do.

XX

Poor Neville, Dumbles and the others are so mean! So we've had our reunion and Harry and Tom are finally together, yay! What did we think? For those hoping the pair would immediately jump in to bed that is just completely unrealistic and isn't going to happen, sorry. They'll get there in their own time. Next chapter will see Harry reunited with the rest of the inner circle as well as a bit more of Neville and the others. Keep the reviews and comments coming, I really do love them.

XXOO


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